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What's the oldest monument in the Boston Public Garden? The story behind "The Good Samaritan."

By
Chris Tanaka
Chris Tanaka
Chris Tanaka co-anchors the morning news on WBZ-TV. He joined WBZ in 2022 after most recently working in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Chris Tanaka

/ CBS Boston

The Boston Public Garden, the first botanical garden in the country, was established in 1837. It's home to several iconic monuments, like the George Washington Equestrian statue, the Make Way for Ducklings sculptures and the Japanese stone lantern. But, a lesser-known monument predates them all.

When quizzed on which statue in the garden is the oldest, Boston resident Mike Sambeck said, "I would assume the ducklings."

Amber, a tourist visiting from Seattle, could only muster a chuckle. "I have no idea."

But Beth Sanders, a tour guide with the Friends of the Public Garden, knew right away. "It's the Ether Monument," she said correctly.

Oldest monument in Boston Public Garden

The Good Samaritan, also known as the Ether Monument, is located just inside the Marlborough Street entrance. It's as much a tower of trivia as it is a 40-foot statue.

Built in 1868, the Good Samaritan is the oldest monument in the garden. It celebrates the watershed moment in 1846 when anesthesia was first used in surgery. That happened just down the road at Massachussetts General Hospital.

Ether first administered at MGH

Atop the monument is a statue of two individuals, with one man administering ether to another. It was sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward, no relation to the presidents. It's his only sculpture in Boston, although he does have one of George Washington in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Though it is obscure, the monument is incredibly deserving. Anesthesia forever changed medicine and like the garden itself was born in Boston.

For more information on the Boston Public Garden, visit the Friends of the Boston Public Garden's .

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