Meet the Sacred Cod, a five foot long wooden fish, carved and painted to resemble a cod. The mighty cod holds great prominence in Massachusetts history, as cod fishing was the first industry practiced by Europeans in the region. For perhaps 270 years or more, the Sacred Cod has served as a sort of mascot for the state House of Representatives, except for two days in 1933, when it went inexplicably missing.
The Sacred Cod
- Marie Margaret McLaughlin’s thesis on the fishing industry in 17th century Massachusetts.
- The official history of the Sacred Cod compiled in 1895 by a committee of the House of Representatives.
- Universal Hub’s summary of the Sacred Cod heist.
- A nice little roundup of coverage of the heist from the Museum of Hoaxes.
- Pictures of the Sacred Cod, including one as it was returned to the police after the famous heist, via Digital Commonwealth.
Featured Historic Site
Our featured historic site this week is none other than the hub of the universe itself. It is our state capitol, and the namesake of this podcast. In an 1858 article in The Atlantic, Oliver Wendall Holmes wrote,
“[The] Boston State-House is the hub of the solar system. You couldn’t pry that out of a Boston man, if you had the tire of all creation straightened out for a crowbar.”
Built in 1798 and designed by Charles Bulfinch, the Massachusetts State House overlooks Boston Common with its distinctive gold dome and federal-style facade. Seated on land donated by John Hancock with a cornerstone laid by Samuel Adams and a dome coppered by Paul Revere, the State House is a must-do for history and architecture buffs alike. Guests will visit the House and Senate Chambers, and learn about the building’s rich history.
The State House building is open weekdays from 8:45am to 5pm, and guided tours are available from 10am to 3:30pm by reservation only.
Upcoming Event
Harvard’s Countway Library of Medicine is more than just the home of Phineas Gage’s skull. It’s also one of the world’s foremost institutions for the study of the history of medicine. To that end, they are hosting World War I: Reflections at the Centennial on May 30, studying how the mobilization for World War I shaped the practice of medicine in America and around the world. From the website:
James A. Schafer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Houston, will present “The Mobilization of American Medicine for the First World War,” an examination of the causes and effects of the rapid recruitment of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel (such as volunteer ambulance drivers) during the War. Drawing from Harvard University and other Boston area examples, Professor Schafer will measure the scope and scale of medical mobilization, explain the motivations for doctors, nurses and medical personnel to mobilize, and explore the immediate effects of mobilization on the careers and lives of American doctors, nurses, and medical personnel.
Jeffrey S. Reznick, Ph.D., Chief of the History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, will present “A Prisoner of the Great War and his Songs in Captivity,” an exploration of the period when Rudolf Helmut Sauter (1895-1977)—the artist, writer, and nephew of the novelist John Galsworthy—was an internee in Alexandra Palace camp, north London, and Frith Hill, Surrey. Drawing on collections of the NLM, Imperial War Museum, and University of Birmingham, among other archives and libraries, Dr. Reznick will reveal how Sauter’s experiences open a unique window onto the history of the Great War both as Sauter experienced it and as he subsequently sought to forget it like so many other surviving members of the “generation of 1914.”
The event is free, but they ask guests to register in advance.