The Great Molasses Flood occurred on January 15, 1919 when a storage tank failed at the Purity Distilling Company in Boston's North End. Millions of gallons of hot molasses went pouring into the streets, then cooled down and thickened, creating a sticky mess. The wave swept up people and animals and destroyed buildings, and the cooled, thick molasses took so long to clean up that for decades afterward, people said they could smell it on a hot day.
This week, Amelia and Erika are joined by Steve Gurriero, director of education from the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, Massachusetts.
If you want to try Boston brown bread, we used this recipe.
Read more:
I Survived the Great Molasses Flood by Lauren Tarshis. There's a graphic novel too!
Leah Braves the Flood: A Great Molasses Flood Survival Story by Julie Gilbert
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. This one is more for the adults!
