Today in the CBO
The View from the BMU
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
23 August 2298 – Somerville Place
On certain Tuesdays for the 2297 and 2298 seasons, we will feature one of the settlements where teams in the Boston Minor Union play.
In our twenty-third trip around the BMU, we are going back to the Glowing Sea in a small settlement known as Somerville Place. It is part of the former township of Dedham, Massachusetts, and it acts as one of the farmlands providing food to areas like Vault 95 and Natick Banks.
The Commonwealth Swamps
The area south and southwest of Boston proper is full of swamps in a deposit of the Charles River. According to a terminal entry from 2288, Somerville Place is "located next to the Charles River, near to the Glowing Sea, with the area consisting of a run-down house with some furniture and a small farm. . . . It is initially occupied by a single father and his two children."
Somerville Place 2288 - How did the Somers survive?
Of course, being close to the Glowing Sea, the area has been mostly devastated and it is common for almost daily radstorms to blow through. Residents and settlers typically keep large supplies of Rad-X and RadAway in stock. With the help of nearby Vault 95, the area is now the leading producer of both chems.
The town pre-War has some terminal information also. Interestingly, the Somerville Place name is unknown, though the original occupant that Nate Howard met in 2298, known now as John Somer (father of Roxbury Knuckle Punchers reliever Aaron Somer), said that he believes his family came from the town of Somerville north of the Charles River and settled here after the Great War. The area where Somerville Place is located is actually part of a town called Dedham, a former suburb of Boston. Dedham became swampy after the Great War with the blast breaking apart nearby banks of the Charles River, causing excessive flooding.
Dedham pre-War was "Settled in 1635 by people from Roxbury and Watertown, Dedham was incorporated in 1636. It became the county seat of Norfolk County when the county was formed from parts of Suffolk County on March 26, 1793. When the Town was originally incorporated, the residents wanted to name it 'Contentment.' The Massachusetts General Court overruled them and named the town after Dedham, Essex in England, where some of the original inhabitants were born. The boundaries of the town at the time stretched to the Rhode Island border.
"At the first public meeting on August 15, 1636, eighteen men signed the town covenant. They swore that they would 'in the fear and reverence of our Almighty God, mutually and severally promise amongst ourselves and each to profess and practice one truth according to that most perfect rule, the foundation whereof is ever lasting love.'
"They also agreed that 'we shall by all means labor to keep off from us all such as are contrary minded, and receive only such unto us as may be probably of one heart with us, [and such] as that we either know or may well and truly be informed to walk in a peaceable conversation with all meekness of spirit, [this] for the edification of each other in the knowledge and faith of the Lord Jesus…' The covenant also stipulated that if differences were to arise between townsmen, they would seek arbitration for resolution and each would pay his fair share for the common good.
"In November 1798, David Brown led a group in Dedham protesting the federal government; they set up a liberty pole, as people had before the American Revolution. It carried the words, 'No Stamp Act, No Sedition Act, No Alien Bills, No Land Tax, downfall to the Tyrants of America; peace and retirement to the President; Long Live the Vice President,' referring to then-President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. Brown was arrested in Andover but because he could not afford the $4,000 bail, he was taken to Salem for trial. Brown was tried in June 1799. Although he wanted to plead guilty, Justice Samuel Chase urged him to name those who had helped him or subscribed to his writings in exchange for freedom. Brown refused, was fined $480, and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. It was the most severe sentence up to then imposed under the Alien and Sedition Acts.
"Dedham is home to the Fairbanks House, the oldest surviving timber-frame house in the United States, scientifically dated to 1637. On January 1, 1643, by unanimous vote, Dedham authorized the first taxpayer-funded public school, 'the seed of American education.' Its first schoolmaster, Rev. Ralph Wheelock, a Clare College graduate, was paid 20 pounds annually to instruct the youth of the community. Descendants of these students would become presidents of Dartmouth College, Yale University, and Harvard University.
"The first man-made canal in North America, Mother Brook, was created in Dedham in 1639. It linked the Charles River to the Neponset River. Although both are slow-moving rivers, they are at different elevations. The difference in elevation made the canal's current swift enough to power several local mills.
"In 1818, though citizens were still taxed for the support of ministers and other 'public teachers of religion,' Dedham set a precedent toward the separation of church and state. Residents of the town selected a minister different than that chosen by the church members; the selection by residents was confirmed by the Supreme Judicial Court. This decision increased support for the disestablishment of the Congregational churches.
"The local Endicott Estate burned to the ground in 1904 after the local volunteer fire department, responding to three separate fires burning simultaneously, reached the Endicott fire last. By the time they arrived, only ashes remained. It is said that the estate's owner, Henry Bradford Endicott (also founder of the Endicott Johnson Corporation) took the burning of the homestead as a divine command to rebuild (which he did). The rebuilt Endicott Estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The estate and surrounding grounds are open to the public, upholding Henry's stepdaughter Katherine's wish to use the house and property for 'educational, civic, social and recreational purposes.'
"In 1921, the historic Sacco and Vanzetti trial was held in the Norfolk County Courthouse in Dedham. Dedham Pottery is a cherished class of antiques, characterized by a distinctive crackle glaze, blue-and-white color scheme, and a frequent motif of rabbits and other animals. Dedham is sometimes called the 'mother of towns' because 14 present-day communities were included within its original broad borders."
Somerville Place, a Minutemen Stronghold
After Nate Howard secured the area, the Minutemen moved in and started building a fort around Somerville Place from materials found in the Glowing Sea. Although there are infrequent attacks from Raiders from the east and north sides, there are frequent creature and super mutant attacks coming from the south and Glowing Sea.
Somerville Place 2298 - The "exciting" businesses, Bar, Clothing, and General
The Minutemen fortifications have contributed to fewer attacks over the years, but many residents consider the settlement to be dull. As you can see in the picture above, the settlers have, ehem, settled into a life of complacent apathy. I mean, "Bar" is an actual business name in the place. As far as entertainment is concerned, baseball has become the pastime of the settlement, taking people out of their drabbiness and into fury for hoping the Sentry Bots can pull through. Unfortunately, they were recently eliminated from the playoffs after the Natick Banks Sentry Bots clinched the Glowing Sea League title.
Somerville Place 2298 - The Minutemen fortifications - https://imgur.com/gallery/1JB9f
The Future of the Swamp
Though the settlers have been complacent, a sketch hangs in Mayor John Somer's office. Settlers who drop by for other business will often turn their attention to the drawing and comment on the reality of it and how it would transform Somerville Place into something different, something new, something . . . exciting.
Somerville Place 2350 - A Palace of Opportunity - https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/31233
In fact, I had the first chance to view the painting, and it made me think that this place would be an excellent settlement if that future would come through. For now, the aggressive revitalization view is just a dream of Project 2350, but we will let you judge. See the terminal link to check out the entire album of the Somerville Place 2350 vision.