At the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the stage was set for the development of
the coastal marshes of the northeast, including Rumney Marsh. Melting, glacial ice raised the
level of the ocean submerging coastal areas. This glacial melt water also washed sediments
toward the coast. Sand traveling down rivers and creeks was pushed along the coast by wind,
waves, and currents, creating a barrier beach at what is now Revere Beach. Once the beach
was established, it acted as a buffer between the ocean and the area behind it. Now sheltered
from the full force of the sea, mud flats became established. At some point marsh grass seeds,
possibly transported by birds from warmer southern marshes, sprouted at the water's edge
where the tides covered the ground less than half the time. Eventually these thick Cordgrasses
spread. Sediment and debris floating in with the tides became trapped by the marsh grasses
building up the marsh. For hundreds of years, successive layers of dead plant material and
sediments formed into a peat. Scientific dating of this material estimate that marshes of the
Northeast became established about 3000-4000 years ago.
The level of the marsh increased in height until it reached above the level of the average high
tide. The cordgrasses which needed wetter conditions, were now replaced with salt marsh hay.
Other plants such as sea lavender and marsh elder also thrived in this higher, dryer
environment.
As the climate became warmer, many species of animals took advantage of the sheltered
conditions at Rumney Marsh. Shellfish and fish found their way into the marsh. Insects and
other invertebrates found a home, while the migratory patterns of birds and spawning fish
became established. Finally mammals, including humans, benefited from the ample food
supply.
Between 6000-8000 years ago, Native Americans began their seasonal settlement of the area.
(There are numerous Native American sites in the region). They were attracted to the
marshes by the rich shellfish beds, enormous waterfowl populations, and the spring spawning
runs up the Saugus and Pines Rivers by anadramous fish
such as alewife, rainbow smelt and
Atlantic salmon.
With the coming of the English colonists in the 1600's, Native Americans found themselves
sharing these seemingly limitless natural riches of the area. In 1629 William Wood observed:
"Northward up the river (Saugus) goes great store of Alewives. I have seen ten thousand taken in two houres by
two men...There likewise came store of Basse, which the Indian and English catch with hooke and line, some
fifty and threescore at a tide".
Along with fishing, settlers harvested salt marsh hay to feed livestock. These salt marsh
grasses provided a good substitute for upland pastures which were scarce in the heavily
forested New England. Today remains of the wooded staddles - structures used to store the
hay above the marsh - still dot Rumney Marsh. Despite these uses, human impact on the marsh
was still relatively insignificant.
As the population of the region increased, some people began to view the marshes differently,
as dumps or available space to be filled in for more "productive" purposes. Roads were built
to transport people between the growing towns. One of the first, the Salem Turnpike (Route
107), was constructed in 1803. Here travelers were transported by stagecoach over the
marshes between Boston and Salem.
In the 1820's the Saugus Racetrack was constructed on the marsh in East Saugus. Later,
Atwood Aviation Park utilized the race track as an airfield in 1912. The turn of the century
brought residential and summer home development to Lynn and Revere, which filled in
hundreds of acres of marshland. In the 1930's, Rumney Marsh, along with most east coast
marshes were ditched by the Works Program Agency (WPA) in an attempt to reduce
mosquito populations. Many of these ditches still exist throughout the marsh.
From 1940's to the 1970's, industrial, commercial and residential development continued to
fill in hundreds of careers of salt marsh and tidal flats.
By 1978, state and federal regulations preventing the filling of wetlands were instituted and
the marsh destruction was slowed. In 1988 the Rumney Marshes were designated and
protected as an Area of Critical Environment Concern (ACEC). The area was characterized
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as "one of the most biologically significant estuaries
north of Boston".
Since this designation, the Saugus River Watershed Council (SRWC) has been established to
protect the Saugus River and its watershed. More recently, the Friends of Rumney Marsh
(FORM) organized to bring similar focus to the Rumney Marshes. In 1992, the Metropolitan
District Commission (MDC) acquired and dedicated over 500 acres of the marshes as the
Rumney Marsh Reservation. Despite state and federal legislation and efforts by concerned
citizens, illegal dumping, filling and pollution continue to threaten the Rumney Marsh.
