top of page

Episode 67 | Molassacre: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919, Boston, Massachusetts





Coming in hot with the history on this one with the Corpse Flower, The Tot Finder, a Nine-Alarm Fire, and The Wizard of Oz/Darkside of The Moon, The Beaneaters, and the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. 


The Molassacre. A Molasstrophe. That's what happens when 2 million gallons of molasses explodes onto the narrow streets of the North End, in a bizarre and unbelievable story of Boston's dark wave of history. 


On January 15, 1919, a 26 million pound dark wave of stickiness surged through the North End of Boston, seemingly gaining strength as it rolled toward Boston Harbor. A massive swell toppled telephone poles, twisted metal trolley tracks, crushed freight cars, flooded basements, and ripped buildings from foundations. Chest-deep molasses warmed from the above average temperatures thinned out into a coating three feet deep that would grab people like human fly paper, animals struggled to get free of it, only sinking further.


Photos from episode 67:

Celtics win 18th championship, Corpse Flower in bloom, The Tot Finder, Prudential Tower, Dark Side of the Oz, Beantown, The Beaneaters, what makes Boston Baked Beans, RiP Durgin-park, The Brown Death




Sources


Links Death by Molasses: The Boston Molassacre


Celtics hit a new record with 18th NBA Championship


Boston’s Corpse Flower


Rare Corpse Plant Set To Bloom


Treehugger.com - Corpse Bloom


Tot Finder Sticker


Boston Fire Commissioner, Leo Stapleton obituary 




Fire Fighters





Boston Globe - Roxbury protests of 1967


The Crimson - Roxbury MAW protest


Dark Tide, The Great Molasses Flood


Prudential Tower Fire


WZLX midday DJ George Taylor Morris uncovered the  mythical connection between "The Wizard of Oz" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon” record


Dark Side of the Rainbow, George Taylor Morris Reelin' In The Years https://hercshideaway.blogspot.com/2015/07/reelin-in-years-1991-vs-rock-of-70s-1992.html


Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon - monster hit, 800 weeks on the billboard 200https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/pink-floyd-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-at-40-classic-track-by-track-review-1552399


Molasses and the slave trade


The First Juneteenth


The Boston Molassacre


It Happened In Boston


Bittersweet Molasses History


Boston Molasses Flood



Boston Magazine - What We Don't Know About The Molesses Flood of 1919


Boston Globe - Great Molasses Flood 


Census report


100 years after the Great Boston Molasses Flood with author Stephen Puleo



Beantown 


Boston Beaneaters



Boston Globe - What Makes Boston Baked Beans so special?


Food.com - Durgin Park Boston Baked Beans in a beanpot


Durgin Park


NECN - Durgin Park goes dark after 192 years

bottom of page