Mill Talk: How to Fuel an Industrial Revolution—Coal and the Energy Economy of Boston, 1820-1970

Coal was the main fuel for industry, utilities and domestic life in metropolitan Boston between roughly 1820 and 1970, including the core years of the Industrial Revolutions. During this period, coal accounted for the majority of Boston’s energy supply and provided energy to Boston’s homes, factories, foundries, power plants, shipyards and other operations. Coal also fed the city’s multiple gasworks, which provided street lighting and domestic and industrial fuel, and supplied power to both the water and sewage pumping stations. This heavy reliance on coal also created significant quality of life issues for Boston residents and resulted in one of the nation’s first smoke abatement laws.

Thomas Speight has twenty years’ experience in the environmental field as a consultant and regulator. He is a Massachusetts Licensed Site Professional and a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and a member of the Society for Industrial Archaeology. He is a coauthor of “Manufactured Gas Plant Remediation: A Case Study” with Allen W. Hatheway.

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