HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

If you’ve ever taken a walking tour of Boston’s North End, or if you’ve talked to the old timers in the neighborhood, you’ve probably heard stories about the network of so-called secret pirate tunnels or smugglers’ tunnels that connects the wharves to the basements of houses, Old North Church, and even crypts in Copp’s Hill burying ground. Sometimes the tunnels are attributed to a Captain Gruchy, who’s often called a pirate or a smuggler, and who is portrayed as a shadowy figure. It doesn’t take much research to debunk this version of the story, and yet there is historical evidence for tunnels under the streets of the North End. This week, we’ll take a look at that evidence and try to separate fact from fiction.

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The Secret Tunnels of Boston’s North End

• A Topographical and Historical Description of Boston, Charles Shaw
• Old Landmarks and Historic Personages of Boston, Samuel Adams Drake
• Around the Hub: a Boys’ Book about Boston, Samuel Adams Drake
• Rambles in Old Boston, Edward Griffin Porter
• On the 1722 Bonner map of Boston, the location of the tunnel can be found near the right margin. Locate “Cap Greenough’s Ship Y,” and follow the route of the tunnel from there, past the corner of Lynn and Henchman, and angling over to the tip of Salem.
• A description of the tunnels in an 1896 issue of the Boston Globe.
• The tunnels are uncovered and then filled via a 1906 issue of the LA Herald.
• William Cheever’s diary, and some background on the Cheever family.
• Description of Gruchy’s tunnels in a 1906 Boston Globe article.
• “American Privateering and Imperial Warfare 1739-1748,” Carl E Swanson
• A four part story on the Old North blog about Captain Thomas Gruchy’s life in Boston and contributions to Old North Church.
• A pair of independent researchers believe they’ve traced the origin of the tunnel to Captain Daniel Henchman. Check their Facebook and an interview.
• A fanciful story about the tunnels from HP Lovecraft.
• Rumors and speculation about the tunnels from Spare Change News (2015), North End Boston, and the Boston Globe (1922).

A view of the tunnel entrance fro Porter’s 1887 book Illustration of the tunnel in the Sept 6, 1896 Globe Illustration of the tunnel in the Sept 6, 1896 Globe A view of the tunnel entrance from the Sept 23, 1906 Globe, adapted from the illustration in Porter 1930 photo of the arch under Salem Street by Leon Abdalian, via Digital Commonwealth Boston Book Club

Back when we were tour guides, we picked up a slim volume of North End history that co-host Nikki used in putting together our tour of the North End. The book is called The North End, a Brief History of Boston’s Oldest Neighborhood, by Alex R Goldfeld. Goldfeld is also a Boston tour guide, which probably helps explain why his perspective was so helpful in researching a tour. Here’s how the publisher describes it:

Before evolving into a thriving “Little Italy,” Boston’s North End saw a tangled parade of military, religious and cultural change. Home to prominent historical figures such as Paul Revere, this neighborhood also played host to Samuel Adams and the North End Caucus–which masterminded the infamous Boston Tea Party–as well as the city’s first African-American church. From the Boston Massacre to Revere’s heroic ride, the North End embodies almost four centuries of strife and celebration, international influence and true American spirit. A small but storied stretch of land, the North End remains the oldest neighborhood in one of the country’s most historic cities.

Upcoming Event

To continue the tour guide theme, our featured event is a walking tour of Boston’s women’s history from author Jen Deaderick. Deaderick is the author of the new graphic work called She The People, which we know has been in the works for many years, because she discussed the challenging research process at History Camp Boston back in 2015. Now, the book, subtitled “a graphic history of uprisings, breakdowns, setbacks, revolts, and enduring hope on the unfinished road to women’s equality,” is out. The She the People walking tour brings that history home to Boston. Here’s how the author describes it:

With stops at places referred to in my book, SHE THE PEOPLE, or related to people I discuss, this walking tour gives a sense of the layers of women’s history in Boston, from before 1776 to now. We start at the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Boston and end with one of our great contributions to 2018’s woman-led Blue Wave.

The last in her series of tours is coming up on August 7 at 9am. The tour will cover about three miles in two hours, with opportunities for rest and bathroom breaks. Let your guide know if you require any accommodations to make the tour accessible. Advanced registration is $15, or for just $30 you can get a signed copy of the book along with your tour.