Swan Boats are introduced.

They are built by Robert Paget, who had previously operated a row boat concession, in the Lagoon of the Boston Public Garden. The catamarans are propelled by foot power that takes advantage of the new bicycle technology developed by Paget’s friend Albert Pope. Their decorative design came to Paget after seeing a New York performance of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, in which a knight crosses a river pulled by a swan in order to defend a princess. The boats are enlarged over the years to carry more passengers. After Paget’s death in 1878, his widow Julia Paget operates the venue for more than three decades – but only after being forced to gather signatures from local businessmen testifying that a woman could run such a business.