This cache is located in Castle Island, a 22-acre urban park on the waterfront in Boston. The cache is a virtual cache which is about discovering a place rather than a container.
The posted coordinates will bring you to the start of your journey. This is the first of ten locations in the park you will visit where you will learn more about the history of the area. The locations can be visited in any order. More information about the locations can be found in the "Additional Waypoints" section below. The logging requirements are listed in the “Logging Requirements” section and include answering a question at each location and posting a photo of yourself at your favorite location.
Castle Island is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It is a great spot for outdoor activities such as walking, picnicking, swimming, and for visiting historic Fort Independence. Tours of Fort Independence are conducted by The Castle Island Association on a seasonal schedule. Click here to download a trail map.
Castle Island History
Castle Island is a peninsula in South Boston on the shore of Boston Harbor. Its history dates back to 1634 when it was used as a sea defense for the city of Boston. In 1634, Governor Dudley of Massachusetts Bay Colony selected Castle Island for the sea defense of Boston. The first fortifications were an earthwork and two platforms with three cannons.
A pine fort was built in 1644, another structure in 1653 and a fourth in 1673 when the previous was destroyed by a fire. These forts, and the succeeding ones, to this day are known as "The Castle." In 1703, Colonel Romer's brick, 4-bastioned fort, was dedicated and for most of the 1700's, this fort was generally known as "Castle William," named after William III of Orange, King of England. It was armed with 72 cannons ranging from 9 to 42 pounders.
During historic events such as the Boston Tea Party in 1773, many used Castle William as a source of protection. As the British evacuated Boston in 1775, this fort was destroyed. Shortly afterwards, it was repaired under the direction of Lt. Colonel Paul Revere. Castle William was even the site of stamp storage after the passing of the Stamp Act in 1765.
Massachusetts ceded Castle Island to the United States in 1798. President John Adams built and named a new fort “Fort Independence.” Between 1801 and 1803, Colonel John Foncin built the 7th fort on the island made up of bricks with 5-bastions.
In 1851, Colornel Sylvanus Thayer, "the Father of West Point," completely reconstructed the eighth and present fort on Castle Island. His design doubled the former height, expanded its perimeter, constructed casemated interiors, and replaced the brick with granite from the quarries in Rockport, MA. He retained Colonel Foncin's 5 bastion design.
The reason Castle Island doesn’t seem like much of an island today is that it was connected via a bridge back in 1892, which was then completely filled in during the 1930s. The Metropolitan District Commission, currently known as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), purchased Castle Island from the United States in 1962. It is currently a 22-acre recreation site.
Logging Requirements
In order to log this cache as "found" online:
1) Visit the ten virtual stages listed in the "Additional Waypoints" section. Using the information found at each location, answer the questions listed below. Send me a message through the geocaching message center with your answers.
2) Post an image to your online log of you at your favorite location.
- Pleasure Bay: What is the name of the architect?
- Treasured Lagoon: What is the name of the man who established a free sailing program?
- Fort Independence: What was the first fort made of?
- Paradise to Prison: What is the name of the indigenous people who lived here at one time?
- Birds: What is the name of the illustrator?
- Firefighter Memorial: Which branch of the armed forces did this person serve in during WWII?
- Spanish American War Memorial: What happened here?
- Korean War Memorial: What is the name of the Korean War veteran engraved on the base of one of the two flagpoles?
- Harbor of Shame: What is solid sludge made into after it is treated?
- Donald McKay Monument : What is the name of the clipper ship engraved on the monument above Donald's head?
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.