Jesse Pomeroy was a Victorian era serial killer who stalked the streets of Boston. He predated Jack the Ripper by a decade, and the Boston Strangler by almost a century. At only 14 years old, he was known as the Boy Fiend, a child who tortured and killed his fellow children, becoming Boston’s youngest serial killer.
The Boy Fiend, Boston’s Youngest Serial Killer
- The Autobiography of Jesse Pomeroy
- Fiend: The Shocking True Story Of America’s Youngest Serial Killer, by Harold Schechter
- The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America’s Youngest Serial Killer, by Roseanne Montillo
- Jesse Pomeroy timeline
Featured Historic Site
Squantum Point was used as an airfield by Harvard starting in 1910. It would later be a seaplane base, naval shipyard, and a Naval Air Station during both World Wars. Today, it’s parkland with million dollar views and connections to a huge trail network. Take the ferry from Rowes Wharf or Winthrop. Read a base commander’s letter to his five year old son, which was published after his ship was torpedoed in the Solomon Islands. (most pictures below via Abandoned and Little Known Airfields and Digital Commonwealth.)
Upcoming Event
On Monday, November 20, join Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Maria Tatar of Harvard for a discussion of their newly published collection of The New Annotated African American Folktales. Hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, reception at 5:30, talk begins at 6pm. $10, advanced registration required.