Quincy, Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey
Dorchester Street Myles Standish Cairn
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The Myles Standish Cairn is an approximately nine feet high by four and a half feet in diameter field stone and mortar cairn located in the 17.1 acre Squaw Rock Park, in the northeast of Squantum. Surrounded by a heavy iron fence with pointed tips, the Cairn commands an outstanding view of Dorchester Bay and the Boston skyline. There are several similar cairns in Quincy; the Abigail Adams Caitn, erected one year later in 1896, and the twin entrance posts to St. Mary's cemetery on Cresecent Street. There is an excellent view of the Myles Standish Cairn from the Chapel Rocks which rise steeply at the rear of the cairn.
INSCRIPTION
"Captain Myles Standish/ With his Men Guided by the/ Indian Squanto landed here / September 30, 1621/ This Memorial is erected by the/ Daughters of the Revolution/ Quincy Historical and/ Boston Societies/ September 30, 1895".
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The Myles Standish Cairn was erected in 1895 to commemorate his visit here with a party from Plymouth on Septemeber 30, 1621, the first recorded visit of white men to this localilty. The party consisted of ten Englishmen and three Indians and their object was to "make peace with" and to trade with the people there. Here they met Obbatinuat, the the sachem of the local Indians, and secured his assent to the submission to King James, which many of the Indians at Plymouth signed that year. They were guided across the bay by Tisquantum or Squanto who became the early settllers' friend and benefactor. The Squantum area of Quincy is named for him.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
F. Dincauze, Peabody Museum, Harvard. Letter to Dr. Richard Hale, October 27, 1971.
William Churchill Edwards. Historic Quincy, Massachchusetts,1957, p. 350.
Quincy Sun. July 11, 1985. p.21A.
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