A Moving History

Native Americans first occupied Thompson Island as early as 10,000 years ago. Today, Thompson Island is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places, in its entirety, as a contributing element of the Boston Harbor Island Archaeological District, for its Native American archaeological sites and land use.

Early Settlement

The first colonial settlement on Thompson Island was established in 1626 when a trader named David Thomson established an outpost on the island for trading with Neponset Indians. This was four years before Puritans arrived in Boston. Thomson sailed from England on the ship Jonathan arriving in May 1623 at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, where he became the first settler in New Hampshire. David Thomson was "Acting Governor" of New England from 1624 until his death in 1628 on Thompson Island.

An Educational Legacy of Over 170 Years

An educational institution was established on Thompson Island in 1833, when a school for orphaned boys was built on the island. The Farm and Trade School was the first vocational school in America and taught farming, woodworking, and civics. In 1857, Headmaster William Morse of the Boston Asylum & Farm School for Indigent Boys, located on Thompson Island, overhead a group of students entertaining themselves by singing and creating a makeshift "orchestra" with combs covered in tissue paper. He purchased a small collection of used brass instruments for them and established the first school band in America.

Check out our timeline and learn more about the history of Thompson Island

Thompson Island will customize a course to fit the needs of your school or group. To speak with a sales representative, please call 617-328-3900 x116, or e-mail youthcontracts@thompsonisland.org.