The Back Bay Stables

Charlesgate Stables, Newbury street and Massachusetts avenue (BPL Flickr photo group).



Newbury street, 1883. Notice the 'X' marks through the buildings on both sides of Newbury street (click image for larger view).

Newbury street, from Hereford street to Massachusetts avenue 1902.

Newbury street, 1917. Notice that the large commercial stable on the corner of Newbury street and Massachusetts avenue, as well as three smaller facilities, are now automobile garages. The residents of the Back Bay were exactly the kind of people who could afford cars, and would need a place to park them.

When I was in school, we were taught the wars-kings-generals-presidents school of history. While I think it's a perfectly legitimate approach for a big-picture understanding of the past, when it comes to local history I very much prefer the every day life aspects of history. What kind of jobs did people do, how did they get about, what was in the shops, these all interest me far more than who the politicians were and what they did. While this blog could be sub-titled 'Lost Buildings, Institutions, and other such Stuff,' I thought I'd take this opportunity to do a double.

The maps above do show old buildings (or at least their locations). But what I am interested in is what the buildings were used for. In this case, I'm interested particularly in the building on Newbury street between Hereford street and West Chester Park, later Massachusetts avenue. Please note that there are 'X' marks through each of the buildings on this block. These maps were created by the fire insurance industry, as an aid for determining the risk, and coverage cost, of each property. The 'X' drawn from corner to corner of a building was used to signify the storage of hay for horses, and thus a high fire risk.

Here, the buildings have led me back to my interest in every day life. Although it had never occurred to me, of course during the 19th Century a district of wealth like the Back Bay would require stables for the horses and carriages of the residents. And with all those residences, where would the horses and carriages be kept? Now I know; this single stretch of Newbury street was used to stable the horses and carriages of Boston's Back Bay residents.

We know that there were no other stables in the Back Bay because of the lack of 'X' marks on any other buildings in the district. The Newbury street block housed both private and commercial stables. We know that this block was designated (unofficially, perhaps) for stables because the stables show up here and only here on the 1883 map, in spite of their being many open plots to build on south of Dartmouth street. The property of the Back Bay residential district was considered too valuable to be wasted on stables, and the smell, noise and fire threat of stables would only disturb the finer senses of the Yankee stock that was moving in to the district. This block was as far as you could go without leaving the planned district, as just south, the Fenway drained Muddy river and Stony brook into the Charles, and the rectilinear street pattern broke down.

Link Time: South End History

I've just found a relatively new blog that focuses on the history of Boston's South End. The blogger is associated with the South End Historical Society. The style of the blog is very similar to this one: places and people.

Southendhistory.org

Ghosts at the Franklin Park Zoo

The back of the elephant house.


I posted these photos of Franklin Park on my Remember Jamaica Plain blog four years ago, and I thought I'd share them here, as well. They come from the Library of Congress web site, and were taken in 1978. This was the end of the old zoo - the animals had already been removed.

Franklin Park was founded as the West Roxbury park, named for the corner of the short-lived town that had just been annexed by the city of Boston. The park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, who had no interest in zoos. As repeatedly happened, the people of Boston had other ideas, and were happy when a zoo was added to the park. Generations of Bostonians came to the zoo and left with fond memories. Sadly, the city, and then the state, loved the zoo far less, and it was probably never funded properly from the start. It gradually fell into decrepitude, until, an eyesore loved by no one, the original animal houses were torn down and replaced by a new facility.




I was informed in the comment section of the original post that they tried to save that elephant head during demolition, but dropped it and smashed the trunk into many pieces.






Inside of the elephant house.



I remember standing right at that near corner, staring in at a big cat. Probably fifty years ago now - ouch!



Inside the big cat house.


Looks like ruins of an ancient civilization.



Not very homey.



Once there would have been children running about, squealing joyously. Between the lack of people and the low-contrast B&W printing, this looks like on of those end-of-the-world sci-fi movie settings.

From Boy Soldier to Dapper Upholsterer

On this blog, I've chosen to focus on places, which allows me to do a show-and-tell with photographs, maps and prints. As I've already burned through much of the available photos from the days of old, I thought I'd turn to my own particular interest, that of every day life.

Every so often, the Boston Globe would run 'in the old days' articles featuring historical nuggets. Here we learn something I would never have guessed in a million years - plaid streetcars! And cars named after famous heroines, as well. In this case, both women cited have Wikipedia articles, so it must be true!

Daily Boston Globe December 23, 1928

Wore First Uniform of Streetcar Conductor

R.H.J. Nagle Finds Modern Girls Only Improvement Over Things of 60 Years Ago

"Give me the old Boston of 60 years ago!" exclaimed R.H.J. Nagle, the upholsterer, as he worked on a Duncan Fyfe table sent in by King's Chapel for renovation.

"There was not the hustle and bustle in those days; we seemed to have time to enjoy life. Today everything is just rush, and what does it benefit us?"

The only thing modern Mr Nagle approves of is the girl of today. "She is OK. In my day they were too timid," he asserted. probably the hoopskirts had a lot to do with this opinion. As Mr Nagle had been a hoopskirt spangler,* which was attaching the thin gauze covering to the hoops, he probably realized how much they hindered the women in getting about.

Mr Nagle is not 75 years of age. He was one of the first advertisers in the Boston Daily Globe. He had a yearly rate of $20 for four lines on the front page. He has always read the daily and Sunday Globe. he calls it a fine home paper "and mighty interesting."

Street Cars Painted in Plaids

Mr Nagle had the distinction, when he was a conductor for the old Metropolitan St. Railway, to be fitted with the first uniform ever worn by a street car conductor in Boston.

His run was from Bartlett st, Roxbury, to the East Boston ferry. It was the Highland car lines, and the cars were painted in plaids and named after popular heroes and heroins, including Flora MacDonald and Grace Darling. Fares were six rides for a quarter, half fares were three cents, single fares were a nickel. The hours were from 8:45 a m to 12:00 midnight and the pay was $1.75 a day. he had a layoff of four hours in the afternoon.

Mr Nagle remembers the visits of all the Presidents of the United States. President Grant stopped at the St James Hotel, now the Franklin Square House; President Harrison at the Hotel Brunswick, and President McKinley at the Vendome. He also recalled the visit of the Prince of Wales who become King Edward VII.

The visit of the first six Chinese mandarins to this country in their gorgeous costumes of silver and yellow was the most colorful event that he recalls. They were conducted by Ambassador Burlingame, and left the train at what is now the Hotel Buckminster, to be escorted with ceremonies into the city.

Saw Back Bay Filled In

Mr Nagle was born in Cardiff, Wales, Sept 13, 1853, and was brought here at the age of three years. HE was named after three of the English Kings, Richard III, Henry VIII, and John I.

He spent part of his boyhood in Charlestown, and he recalls the long walk to the site of the present main Postoffice on Devonshire st to purchase brown sugar for the table; white sugar was then unknown. Milk was 3 1/2 cents per quart.

He tried to enlist as a drummer boy in the Civil War, but was prevented by the watchfulness of his parents. A little later he enlisted in the Regular Army as a fife player and was detailed to recruiting duty at Governors Island. Shortly after his discharge from the service his detail joined Gen Custer, and all perished in the massacre.

The change in Boston that has interested him the most was the filling of the Back Bay. He lived on the Mill Dam where the Fenway Theatre now stands. Water was carried from the Old Tavern at what is now Charlesgate East. It was piped in from Jamaica Pond in a two-inch log pipe. The method of carrying the water was to attach two buckets to a wooden hoop taken from a molasses barrel, supporting the hoop in each hand as he walked in the center of the hoop.

He walked down Beacon street to the Phillips School. School met every day, including Saturday morning.

Boating, fishing, clamming and catching muskrats were his favorite pastimes in the area between Tremont st and Beacon. It was nothing unusual to see 20,000 persons skating in the Back Bay, he declared.

Simple Business in Those Days

The business methods in those days were very simple as compared to the present. The shutters were removed from the windows at 7 a m and put back at 8 p m. No credit was extended to the customer; cash was paid and the goods either carried or teamed away by the purchaser. In ordering from the Boston wholesale houses the mail was used, but if the need was urgent the horsecars were taken downtown.

Mr Nagle claims the children were given more coasting privileges in those days, and that the slide across the Common, from the State House to Tremont st was a popular one.

He began to learn his trade of upholsterer in 1872 and has been in business for himself since 1879.

Reading has been his favorite pastime. He has a library of 500 books, especially of general history.

He has never been sick a week at a time and never had a family doctor. He still attends to business and is quite active.

Sept. 13, 1927, he made an air trip from the East Boston Airport over the city, which gave him a clear idea of Boston's development since the days of 1968, when it was a city of 192,000 inhabitants.

*spangle: n One of the small metal clasps used in fastening the tapes and wires of a hoop-skirt.

Boston Sign Language

The Leslie Jones collection is a great resource of photographs held by the Boston Public Library. I tried to choose signs that could be identified with a company or location. The first photo features a plow and a sign for the Thomas Grey Company. The Boston Directory lists them as an agriculture warehouse and seed store. I've seen an Ebay listing for a seed catalogue as late as 1941. The address is 32 South Market and 19 Chatham street. This would have been opposite the center of today's Quincy Market.



Smith the Hatter was at 30 Exchange street, which continued Congress street across State street to Dock square. You could probably see the Old State House from the front of the building.

This substantial block was on a corner of Atlantic avenue - note the elevated line to the right - and of course signified marine equipment for sale. This photo was dated 1929.

There was a Regal Shoe Company, Inc, with offices on Summer street and locations on Washington and Tremont streets.

Charles C. Hutchinson sold nautical instruments at 152 State street, and sure enough we see the '2' at the lower left. Mercury, with his winged feet and caduceus, stands on a ball carved '1861.'

The saw above McMahon and Jaques at 242 Massachusetts ave is a bit of a puzzle, as I find them listed in the 1925 Directory as plumbers. This address fronted on Massachusetts avenue directly in front of the Christian Science mother church - the row is gone now.

This sign representing law books sat above 26 Pemberton square. Suffolk County Court House had replaced one side of Pemberton square, and the other became the home to Barrister's Hall, and other law-related facilities.

Horses were auctioned off at 42 Traverse street, which appropriately cut across the Bullfinch Triangle.

Montgomery Frost Company sold glasses at 366 Boylston street between Arlington and Berkeley streets. Apparently, they are still in business as Montgomery Frost Lloyds.




This was listed as the Cole Piano Company built I couldn't find any references to it. The Bijou theatre sign behind the piano tells us that this was Washington street - the Bijou was at 545 Washington street, beside the Keith theatre.



A collar pin represents the Rosenberg company's stock. It appears as if this was Rosenberg and Gordon, of 387 Washington street.



I can't find a location for Boston Gears, but I do love that sign.




George Connolly's marine and contractor's equipment company was at 14/16 Atlantic avenue.

And finally, Lang and Jacobs Coopers supply, 24 India square. India square was a street between Broad and India streets, just up from Atlantic avenue. The block was lost to the Central Artery. I saved this for last because my ancestor Nicholas Bulger, who came from Ireland and settled in St John's Newfoundland, his son and grandson were all coopers. One of them ended up settling in East Cambridge, where my father was born. So there but for the grace of God and technological advances, go I.

Link Time: Forgotten New England

Here's a very nicely done blog featuring New England as I feature Boston. There are some Boston entries, including one that covers North Station in more detail than I did recently. Cool stuff - check it out.

Forgotten New England

High Schools of Yore.

Boston Trade high school - closed/merged 1978 (City of Boston Archive Flickr photo group).

This is my second school post recently, this one featuring 20th century high schools that disappeared. In recent decades, so many schools have been closed that it's hard to keep track. These high schools operated during a more stable time, yet they too came and went.

Like many of these school, a single-sex institution, Boston Trade featured hands-on training over academics. I understand they had a particularly good automotive repair program.



Boston Trade, Parker street, Roxbury (Mission hill). Note Wentworth Institute across the street.



Trade School for Girls. I didn't know this one existed. Girl's Trade supposedly lasted until 1973, although I never heard of it at the time. I've seen reference to a practical nursing program.



The City of Boston Archive tweeted the original location of Girl's Trade school on Mass avenue near Washington street in the South End.



Trade High for Girls, Hemenway street, on the edge of the Fenway.




Practical Arts high school (1900-1940). This school seems to have been for students who found academic work unappealing. Thus, the 'practical.' Remember, at the time, very few students went on to college.

Practical Arts high, school at lower right. Note Dudley street at the top and Warren to the left. This would later become Girl's Latin.



The old Normal school was a preparatory high school for future teachers, typically girls. As teaching became professionalized, training extended to college, and the Boston Teacher's College was founded. When Girl's Latin moved out of the South End, it came here, adjacent to the Teacher's College. When the teacher's college was expanded, Girl's Latin was squeezed out of their home.

Note: Commenter Deb shared this link with information about the various moves of Girls's Latin/Latin Academy.






Girl's Latin school, Huntington avenue and Longwood street.



While I remember Boston Trade high school, the High School of Commerce was closed in 1954. I think we can assume a focus on office skills for this school - typing, shorthand and basic accounting skills were tickets to an office job at the time.



By the time I was in school, English High had replaced Commerce on Avenue Louis Pasteur. English, like the nearby Girl's Latin, would later be bumped from the building. Needless to say, Boston Latin school went nowhere.

Mechanic Arts high school had a contentious life. The headmaster saw it as a feeder school for M.I.T., while the school department wanted to produce factory workers. In time, the school would be renamed Boston Technical high school, and become a so-called exam school. When I attended in the late 1960s-early 1970s, it was both a college prep school and a shop skill training school.




Mechanic Arts high was on Dalton street, overlooking the Boston and Albany train yards in the Back Bay. When the Prudential Center was built, Mechanic Arts/Boston Tech moved to Roxbury, although the building was not actually taken for the project.

Note: all photos are from the City of Boston Archive Flickr photo group.