Edward Rowe Snow
Encyclopedia
Edward Rowe Snow was an American
author
and historian
.
, and Boston University
, with an M.A.
Snow married Anna-Myrle Haegg, on July 8, 1932, and they had a daughter Dorothy Caroline.
He was a high school teacher in Winthrop, Massachusetts
. During World War II
, he served with the XII Bomber Command, and he became a first lieutenant. He was a daily columnist at the The Patriot Ledger
newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts
from 1957-82.
Snow is widely known for his stories of pirates and other nautical subjects; he wrote over forty books and many shorter publications. In all, he was the author of more than 100 publications, mainly about New England
coastal history.
Mr. Snow was also a major chronicler of New England maritime history. With the publication of The Islands of Boston Harbor in 1935, he became famous as a historian of the New England coast and also as a popular storyteller, lecturer, preservationist, and treasure hunter. Forty years later, he was still publishing.
He is also famous for carrying on the tradition of the "Flying Santa
" for over forty years (1936–1980). Every Christmas he would hire a small plane and drop wrapped gifts to the lighthouse keeper
s and their families.
Many credit him with saving Fort Warren
, located on Georges Island in Boston Harbor
, in the 1950s.
In August 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Mr. Snow on his beloved Georges Island. A Boston Harbor ferry boat was named for him.
Since 2002, several of his books were released in new editions published by Commonwealth Editions of Beverly, Massachusetts
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
Life
He was the son of Edward Sumpter and Alice (Rowe) Snow. He graduated from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, with an M.A.
Snow married Anna-Myrle Haegg, on July 8, 1932, and they had a daughter Dorothy Caroline.
He was a high school teacher in Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served with the XII Bomber Command, and he became a first lieutenant. He was a daily columnist at the The Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger is a daily afternoon newspaper published in Quincy, Massachusetts and serving the South Shore. Its circulation is 55,000 on weekdays and 63,000 for its Weekend edition which is published on Saturday mornings....
newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
from 1957-82.
Career
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coastal history.
Mr. Snow was also a major chronicler of New England maritime history. With the publication of The Islands of Boston Harbor in 1935, he became famous as a historian of the New England coast and also as a popular storyteller, lecturer, preservationist, and treasure hunter. Forty years later, he was still publishing.
He is also famous for carrying on the tradition of the "Flying Santa
Flying Santa
The Flying Santa is the name given to a tradition that dates to Christmas Day of 1929, when packages of gifts were dropped from a plane to lighthouse keepers and their families along the New England coast....
" for over forty years (1936–1980). Every Christmas he would hire a small plane and drop wrapped gifts to the lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s and their families.
Many credit him with saving Fort Warren
Fort Warren (Massachusetts)
Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
, located on Georges Island in Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, in the 1950s.
In August 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Mr. Snow on his beloved Georges Island. A Boston Harbor ferry boat was named for him.
Since 2002, several of his books were released in new editions published by Commonwealth Editions of Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
.
Publications
- Castle Island, Its 300 Years of History and Romance (Andover MA: Andover Press, 1935)
- The Islands of Boston Harbor, their history and romance, 1626-1935 (1935, updated by Jeremy D'Entremont and republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2002)
- Sailing Down Boston Bay (Yankee Publishing Company, 1941)
- Storms And Shipwrecks of New England (1943, updated by Jeremy D'Entremont and republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2005)
- Pirates and Buccaneers of the Atlantic Coast (Boston: Yankee, 1944; republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2004)
- The Lighthouses of New England (1945 and later editions; updated by Jeremy D'Entremont and republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2002)
- A Pilgrim Returns to Cape Cod (Boston: Yankee Publishing Company, 1946; republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2003).
- Mysteries and Adventures Along the Atlantic Coast (1948, updated by Jeremy D'Entremont and republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2006)
- Secrets of the North Atlantic Islands (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1950)
- True Tales of Pirates and Their Gold (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1957)
- Women Of The Sea (1962, updated by Jeremy D'Entremont and republished by Commonwealth Editions, 2002)
- An Island Citadel (Boston: Braintree MA, ca. 1965)
- Historic Fort Warren (Boston: Yankee Publishing, 1941)
- Two Forts Named Independence, (1967)
- True Tales and Curious Legends: Dramatic Stories from the Yankee Past (New York: Dodd, Mead 1969)
- Ghosts, Gales and Gold (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972)
- Adventures, Blizzards, and Coastal Calamities (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1978)
- Supernatural Mysteries and Other Tales (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1974)
- Pirates, Shipwrecks and Historic Chronicles (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1981)