Paddling on the Charles has been popular for many years. Back in the 1930s, regular reports on the results of canoe races were included in the Boston Globe. Most of the races covered were five or eight miles. But in one 1931 report, paddlers were challenged with a marathon course of 26 miles.
Photographer Leslie Jones covered one of these events along the way. Both of his photos are titled, "Canoe race, Charles River." Here are links to the one above and the one below. The records say they were taken in June of 1931.
The Boston Globe reported on a Canoe Marathon on June 22, 1931. It was won by Howard Chapin in a time of 3 hours, 56 minutes, and 20 seconds. While this was the only race on the Charles River that the newspaper covered, we have no way of knowing if this was the race that Leslie Jones photographed since he worked for a rival news organization.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.
