It may not always be apparent to the driver navigating the narrow streets of Boston, but the creation of this city is one of the great engineering feats of American History. Examining the pattern of landfill projects reveals much about the history of the city. Boston today is bustling, densely populated, and many of the original landmarks which distinguished the topography of the city have been irrevocably altered, or lost from sight. Not only are they obscured by tall buildings, but the hills which made up the Trimountain have been cut down by 60 feet or more. In the early 19th century, the crests of these hills were carted away, and dumped in the coves to provide more area for building.
Old maps depicting Boston reveal an irregular, spidery peninsula, almost an island, really.
The North End was distinct from the main body of the Shawmut peninsula, as it was first known. High tides often nearly isolated the North End from the rest of Boston. They are reduced versions of an earlier presentation.