North River (Massachusetts Bay) facts for kids
The North River is a beautiful river in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It's about 12 miles (19 km) long. This river is mostly a tidal river, which means its water level changes a lot with the ocean tides. It starts where the Indian Head River and Herring Brook meet.
The North River forms the border between several towns. These include Norwell, Pembroke, Massachusetts, and Hanover, Massachusetts. Further downstream, it separates Scituate and Marshfield. The river flows into Massachusetts Bay at a spot called New Inlet. Here, it also meets the South River before reaching the ocean. This area is sometimes called the "Irish Riviera" because many Irish American families moved here in the 1800s.
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Fishing in the North River
The North River is a great place to find fish like striped bass and bluefish. When the tide goes out quickly, these fish can sometimes get stuck in the shallow parts of the river. These shallow areas are often found near the river's "flats." These flats are wide, flat areas of land that are covered by water at high tide.
The flats on the North River are about half a mile wide and one mile long. The best time to fish here is in the spring. This is when schools of striped bass and bluefish are very active. You can fish from a boat or from the land.
Boating on the River
The North River is a popular spot for people who enjoy kayaking and small boats. There are several places where you can put your boat into the water:
- Bridge Street in Norwell
- Union Street in Marshfield
- Chittenden Lane in Norwell
- Driftway Park in Scituate
- A public boat launch off Indian Head Drive in Hanover, further upriver. This is close to where the North River ends.
The North River officially ends in Hanover and Pembroke at a place called Luddams Ford. The water upstream from the Luddams Ford dam is actually the Indian Head River.
The North and South Rivers Watershed Association has a helpful guide and map for kayakers. They also have an offset tide table for different spots along the river. This helps you know the best times to launch and take out your boat. Public parking is available at these boat launch locations.
History of the North River
The North River has a rich history, especially with shipbuilding. One famous place was the Fox Hill Shipyard. This shipyard built many ships, some as large as 390 tons! Between 1690 and 1869, the Fox Hill Shipyard built over 56 vessels. The biggest ship they ever made was named the Hilo. The very first ship launched from this shipyard was the Orient, which weighed 42 tons. The first two shipbuilders on the river were Nathaniel Church and John Palmer.
How the River Changed
A big storm called the Portland Gale happened in 1898. Before this storm, the North River flowed south between Scituate's Humarock area and Marshfield. It joined the South River and entered the ocean several miles south of where it does today.
The storm broke through a thin strip of beach. This made Humarock an island. Over time, the old river entrance filled with sand and mud. This forced the South River to flow north between Marshfield and Humarock. Now, it joins the North River and enters the ocean between Third and Fourth Cliffs.
Even though Humarock is now connected to Marshfield by land, there are no roads across the old river entrance. So, you can only get to Humarock by using the Marshfield Avenue and Julian Street bridges from Marshfield. This change in the river's path also made the large marsh areas around the new outlet saltier. This caused the loss of the valuable salt hay business, which used to be important there.
River Landings
The North River also had many "landings" in different towns. These were places where "packet boats" would stop. Packet boats were like small ferries that carried people and goods.
- Whites Ferry in Marshfield and Barry's Landing in Scituate were often the first stops.
- Then, boats would travel down the North River to Hobart's Landing in Pembroke.
- They would also stop at the Wanton/Fox Hill Shipyards in Norwell.
- The last stop on the river was usually at Barstow's Bridge/Shipyard in Hanover.
Other shipyards on the North River included Whites Ferry shipyard and Barstows Two Oaks shipyard. These were active from the 1600s through the 1800s.
