Dorchester Illustration no. 2349 Swimmers jumping off bridge
Is it spring yet? With thoughts turning to summer and the pleasures of warmer weather, we were reminded of this photograph. September 1, 1980, “With the temperature in the 80’s plus high humidity, youngsters cool off by jumping from the Malibu bridge, in the Dorchester section of the city.
Does anyone know who these youngsters were and where they are now?
The drawbridge was built in the late 1920s. It was named by an Act of the Commonwealth in 1978 as the John J. Beades Bridge in memory of Senator John J. Beades of the Dorchester section of the city of Boston, who devoted his adult life to the service of the public and in particular to the needs of the people of Dorchester.
As part of the construction of the Old Colony Parkway (Morrissey Boulevard), two arms of land were made, one extending south from Savin Hill and one extending north from Commercial Point with a drawbridge to span the gap, allowing boat access to Savin Hill Bay. Work on the land-making began in 1925, and work on the drawbridge began in 1927 with completion the following year. The Old Colony Parkway opened in 1928. It is 90 years old this year.