Sometimes little plaques are all we have left to commemorate important historical events. Years ago I would quickly pass by these markers or maybe give them a glance in passing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how important it is to stop and read the words written on them. These simple reminders are here for a reason, and many of the stories behind them are really fascinating! The little green plaque at Langone Park in Boston, commemorating the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 is no exception.

Langone Park is located on Commercial Street in Boston’s North End. Today it is a recreational facility where children hit baseballs and play on climbing equipment. It is also a pretty place to take in beautiful views of the harbor. However, just a little over a century ago, this was the spot of a horrific disaster.
Brandon Ortega/Google Reviews
On January 15, 1919, an enormous storage tank at the Purity Distilling Company suddenly exploded and filled the North End with millions of gallons of sticky molasses.
Wikipedia
A 40-foot wave of molasses overtook the area. People were picked up and tossed in the air, buildings were crushed, the elevated track was destroyed, and a car was knocked into the harbor.
21 people lost their lives in the flood and about 150 more were injured. Several horses and dogs perished as well. The surrounding neighborhood was completely destroyed.
Boston Public Library/flickr
The flood was later attributed to unseasonable warm January temperatures as well as defects in the molasses tank.

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Clean-up efforts took weeks, and the entire North End smelled of molasses for years afterward. Some people even claim that you can smell whiffs of it today.
Boston Public Library/flickr
In the 1990's, the Bostonian Society erected this simple plaque to commemorate the event and remember those lives lost to it. It was originally located on a stone wall at the entrance of the park.
DLP/Tripadvisor
When the park was renovated in 2021, the plaque was moved. It now sits just outside the baseball field’s home plate.
John Klopp/Google Reviews
Next to it sits an informative storyboard that tells you a little more information about the flood. It is definitely worth a read.
Leanne Miller/Google Reviews

Have you been to the site of the Great Molasses Flood? What other Massachusetts plaques or statues would you like to learn about? To find out even more about this interesting event in history, you can read the book, Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. Other interesting sights to see in the North End include the Old North Church and Copps Hill Burying Ground, both stops along the Freedom Trail.

 

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Langone Park, 529-543 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109, USA