Children's Island
It was then bought and sold several times until around the Revolutionary War when the Essex hospital was built as a smallpox inoculation site.
In June 1629, Reverend Francis Higginson notes "we passed the curious and difficult entrance into the large and spacious harbour of Naimkecke, [Salem] and as we passed along it was wonderful to behould so many islands replenished with thicke woods and high trees and many fayre green pastures [sic].
[5] On September 2, 1773, the Island was sold to four prominent men from Marblehead[8] with the plan to build a smallpox hospital.
Although some in the medical community argued in favor of inoculation of the disease, most people at the time were terrified of and vehemently opposed to the practice.
In August 1773, a Marblehead town meeting was held to debate the construction of a public inoculation hospital on one of the nearby islands.
The proposal was rejected, but the majority did agree to allow a private funding of a hospital as long as the Marblehead selectmen could regulate it.
A few weeks later, four townsmen were caught stealing contaminated clothing from the island while attempting to smuggle them into Marblehead.
The following morning, the four were tarred and feathered and paraded through Marblehead into Salem, a source of much entertainment to those witnessing the spectacle.
[14] In December 1775, three British ships paraded around Children's Island in war formation threatening to bombard Marblehead.
[15] On Monday, January 8, 1776, Ashley Bowen notes: "I find the Fowey's people have cut down all the trees from Cat Island.
"[9] However, the Marblehead Register, a local newspaper of the time, has an entry of Dr. Story on January 7, 1776, "Trees on Cat Island cut down last night, suppose by the Merlin.
"[17] However, Ashley Bowen who documents on the happenings of Marblehead daily notes on August 16, 1775 "sailed the Merlin ... for Boston.
On August 18, 1791 Reverend William Bentley recorded the following in his diary: We arrived at 5 o'clock at Cat Island, & not venturing near the shore on account of the surf we engaged a Marblehead skiff to land us on the beach.
It is a very rocky shore, but contains from 15 to 20 acres of good pasture land, of easy access, & not much mixed with rocks.
end is the place of the Smoak house [smokehouse], when this Island was used for a hospital for inoculation of the Small Pox about 19 years since.
A temporary solution was to plant trees as landmarks onto large rocks, and using these as a reference points on charts and written navigational directions.
No mention of marker is made in the 1806 (5th) edition of the American Coast Pilot, which implies the spar was placed between 1800 and 1817.
[24] The British were hesitant to follow, not wanting to venture too close to the protection of Fort Sewall and risk navigation through the unfamiliar channel.
Gradually and by 1816, the Fettyplace family acquired full ownership to Children's (Cat) Island, which they sold in 1846 to John Roundy of Marblehead.
"[26] "It possessed a T-shaped floor plan and was 2 ½ stories high under pitched, dormered, intersecting roofs with a central cupola.
"[27] The Hotel was popular and well visited but lost money and subsequently was mortgaged and transferred between members of the company until finally sold to Gorham L.
Open June 10, 1880” with departure and arrival times of the boat appears in an 1880 magazine[29] Eventually Samuel's son, Frederick H. Rindge of California, donated the property to St. Margaret's Home of Boston for use as Children's Island Sanitarium[30][31][32][33] Summary.
However, this date must be wrong as the organization was actually incorporated in 1886,[34] and "in 1886 a fourth summer home was added at Lowell Island near Marblehead"[35] to the responsibilities of the Sisters of the Society of Saint Margaret.
The test results "show that the water is very hard, has a disagreeable odor and contains an excessive quantity of organic matter.
In 1946, the trustees voted "not to use Children’s Island for the purposes for which this corporation is organized after November 1, 1946; and to surrender possession therof on that date to the heirs and assigns of Frederick H.
"[42] The island remained in Rindge's possession until being leased by the Marblehead YMCA which opened a summer camp.
[44] Children are picked up from a dock on State Street in Marblehead (and more recently Pickering Wharf in Salem) and are returned at the end of the day.
Activities at camp have included sailing, archery, swimming, riflery (formerly), nature, arts & crafts, fishing, and one or more overnights a session.
A "Rangers" Program modeled after the Boy Scouts was created in the 1960s by Peter Sawin and has always been extremely popular.
In the 1990s, multiple new buildings were constructed including the Ranger's Lodge, Gazebo, and a combination office and infirmary.
