The 1871 North River Dam

Imagine a 4,300-foot barrier extending from Third Cliff in Scituate, across the mouth of the North River to Fourth Cliff. Imagine this structure continuing south along the western shore of Humarock, crossing the South River upstream of today’s Sea Street Bridge. Imagine a solid, curving wall enclosing today’s estuary, and preventing ocean tides from flowing up the North River. It seems radical, but in 1871 this very thing was not only proposed, but authorized!