Snow, The Flying Santa

As I write more and more about the islands and lighthouses of Boston and beyond, it is inevitable that I’d mention one very colorful character: Edward Rowe Snow (1902–1982), Boston maritime historian, author, lecturer, activist and enthusiast. He most definitely deserves a separate post to link to later. This is that post.

Snow is remembered in many different ways. One of them: as the Flying Santa. For over forty years he would hire a plane on Christmas Day, fill it with Christmas presents and fly over New England lighthouses.

“Every year from the time I was born until after I was married”, recalls his daughter, “I flew with my parents in a five-seat plane as we dropped packages for the lonely, isolated lighthouse keepers and their families. These flights were bumpy, rough, and scary, but I always knew that this was something really special.”

Snow flew as Santa for over forty years, from 1936 to 1980, with only one year skipped: 1942, when he was wounded in North Africa during World War II.

He paid for all that himself: rented the plane with a pilot, bought the presents. The family lived a very modest life, saving for Christmas during the entire year. Somehow Snow managed to convince the entire family in his own priorities: bringing joy to lighthouse keepers was more important than prosperity at home.

Snow loved lighthouses, and often lead lighthouse tours. One of his favorites was Minot Ledge Light outside of Boston Harbor.

Back when keepers still lived there, Snow would often come visit them on a motorboat or a kayak. From time to time he would climb the ladder from the water surface to the keeper’s dwelling entrance—all sixty five feet—and dove down, to the horror and excitement of his little daughter and to the displeasure of his wife.

On this video, shot in 1962, he celebrates his 60^th birthday.

After the lighthouse was automated, Snow kept diving from Minot Light while leading his lighthouse trips. Eventually Coast Guard’s Boston command had to ask him very nicely to please stop doing that.

Snow was a prolific author. He wrote about 100 publications, including more than 40 books. I have two on my bookshelf: The Islands of Boston Harbor and The Lighthouses of New England—the undisputed classics. Before writing a new blog post, I always review the corresponding chapters.

One of Snow’s most beloved islands was Governor’s Island with a fair Fort Winthrop on top of the hill.

In 1946–1947 they leveled Governor’s Island along with the fort. It became a part of runways of the new Boston airport (now known as Logan International Airport). Progress required sacrifices. Aviation was considered progress back then.

Losing the island and the fort was very hard for Snow. He did everything he could to save the other islands and forts of Boston harbor from a similar fate. A historian started to make history himself.

Because of his efforts to save Fort Warren on George’s Island that island was transferred to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1961. Eventually, it became the kernel of the Boston Harbor Islands park area, where all the islands are protected as much as it is possible in the modern United States.

Snow’s part in saving George’s Island and fort Warren was so big and so broadly recognized that it was there where in 1992 was erected a memorial marker in his memory. We took a photo of it on our recent sailing expedition to George’s Island.

The marker stands next to the shore. Edward Rowe Snow, historian, author, Flying Santa and protector of his beloved island of Boston Harbor, looks at beautiful sights. He sees islands, clouds and little specks of sunlight shining brightly in the seawater.

He would have liked it here.