Thursday, 4:30 PM
Origins of Gerrymander, at Summer and Arch
By Michael Levenson
Globe Staff
Even in a city that loves history, this marker stands out. It does not honor the home of a fiery colonial preacher, ancient burial ground, or beloved 19th century brewery.
It commemorates a less exalted -- and often vilified -- milestone: In 1812, on the corner of Summer and Arch streets, Governor Elbridge Gerry and State Senator Israel Thorndike drew legislative districts -- one shaped like a salamander -- designed to keep their Republican friends in power.
Gerrymandering was born.
And so Wednesday, the great-great-great grandsons of Gerry and Thorndike posed for photographs and applauded as they unveiled an official plaque. A dozen of their relatives, dressed formally in bowties, sun hats, and dresses, cheered.
"Dubious, as they say, dubious," said a slightly bashful John Thorndike, 80, a retired investor from Dover. "But still hardly a month goes by that you don’t hear the term on the radio."
"That's right!" chimed in Elbridge Gerry Jr., 74, a retired banker from Long Island.
Then he grumbled, "Mispronounced." His family, he explained, winces every time they hear gerrymandering mentioned on the news. They pronounce the family name with a hard "g."
Gerrymandering has been a seemingly intractable feature of the political landscape. In the centuries since its debut, the practice -- and the name -- have survived lawsuits, the advent of computer-aided mapping, and the vigilance of civil rights groups. The term most recently made headlines with the falls from power of former US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran. Both were accused of rigging political districts to protect their allies.
A 'dubious' distinction, say descendents
