A Vital Part of New England's Economy
Although much smaller than other seaports along the Atlantic Seaboard, the Port of Boston was always the largest seaport in New England. When the Luna was commissioned in 1930, the greater Port area extended from Gloucester in the north to Plymouth in the south and included commercial and government facilities in a number of communities.

	North of the Port	Gloucester, Salem, Lynn, Danvers and Revere
	Within the Port	Winthrop, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Malden, Medford, Somerville, Charleston, East Boston, Downtown Boston, South Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, Brighton, Dorchester, Milton, Hingham, Quincy, Nantasket, Braintree
	South of the Port	Scituate, Plymouth

In 1930 when the Luna was delivered, the great majority of ocean-going ships called at the Main Port of Boston, but some ships called at Gloucester (primarily for fish) and Salem (primarily to discharge coal and oil). Almost all of the communities had coal "pockets" to receive coal from ships or barges and many had oil terminals to store gasoline and home heating oil. Power stations received coal and oil at many piers including those in Salem, East Boston, Everett, South Boston, and Quincy. (home • next)