Revere Water Department (MWRA)

Revere Water Department (MWRA) Municipal Water Report Info

The City of Revere is situated in eastern Massachusetts (Suffolk County) bordering Winthrop, East Boston and Chelsea to the South, Everett and Malden to the West, Saugus and Lynn to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It encompasses 10.0 square miles, although 4.1 miles are water bodies and wetlands unsuitable for development. Of the 5.9 miles of developed land, 70% is residential. Revere is located approximately 5 miles from downtown Boston.

Revere's earliest inhabitants were Native Americans from the Pawtucket Tribe, known locally as the Rumney Marsh Indians. Their leader, or sachem, was Nanepashemet of Lynn. Before English colonization, the indigenous population was severely reduced by warfare and disease. The neighboring Taratines conducted numerous raids, and in 1616, an epidemic (likely smallpox) devastated the region.

Nanepashemet relocated to the Mystic River in present-day Medford but was killed in 1619. His three sons succeeded him, with Wonohaquaham (Sagamore John) overseeing the Indians at Winnisemmit (later Chelsea) and Rumney Marsh. Similar to today's tourists, the Native Americans would camp along the beach during warmer months where food was plentiful. For recreation, tribes would compete in various events on the sandy beaches, with pelts and wampum as prizes.

Europeans first discovered Rumney Marsh when Captain John Smith explored New England's coastline in 1614. It became part of the first permanent settlement in Boston Harbor at Winnisemmet (now Chelsea) established by Samuel Maverick in 1624. By 1639, the original 21 land allocations had consolidated into seven large farms, with agriculture being the primary industry.

On September 25, 1634, Rumney Marsh was annexed to Boston, which had received its name only four years earlier. In 1739, Rumney Marsh, Winnisemmet and Pullen Point (later Winthrop) were separated from Boston and established as the Town of Chelsea, with Revere selected as the Town Center due to its size.