William Ball Rice (1840-1909) was an American industrialist who co-founded Rice & Hutchins, a shoe manufacturing company with main offices in Boston (Wikipedia).
In the late 1800s, and early 1900s, he and his Winthrop Shore Land Company were the largest land holders in the town. Along with his son Fred B. Rice, the company first bought and developed the Great Head/Cottage Hill land in 1878. Then in 1883, purchased the Highlands from the City of Boston.
In 1893, Rice received permission to build a wharf at Great Head/Cottage Hill. In 1904 the federal goverment acquired the site for use in supplying Fort Heath and Fort Banks. Rice Wharf has also been called Federal Government Wharf.
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