You might be familiar with the Boston Tea Party, but for many Bostonians, there’s another food-centric event that comes to mind as they reflect on local history: the Great Molasses Flood.
When a surge of sticky dark brown syrup washed over Boston’s North End on January 15th, 1919, it wreaked havoc on the neighborhood, killing 21 people, injuring 150, and destroying businesses and homes. The tragedy’s name might spark laughter from anyone who hasn’t heard of it — as Ayo Edebiri pointed out on Late Night With Seth Meyers, people inevitably wonder how such a notoriously slow ingredient could bring about so much harm.
But Edebiri also emphasizes that the flood is something Bostonians still care deeply about; and justifiably so, considering the gravity of what occurred. While it’s unlikely that an identically unusual and sugary tragedy could happen again, the 106th anniversary of the Great Molasses Flood presents an opportunity to reflect on …