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Cambridge Street looking towards Blossom Street, West End, Boston Redevelopment Authority photographs, Collection 4010.001

Apr 3

The West End: Slum or bustling urban neighborhood?

What characteristics do you think of when you hear the word "slum"? Deteriorated infrastructure...

Barton and Leverett Streets, July 19, 1959, West End Demolition Photographs (Collection 9800.008), Boston City Archives

Mar 27

The demolition of the West End

In the 1950s, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) announced plans to "redevelop" the West End, a...

Staniford Street. May 9, 1958. Boston, MA. West End Urban Renewal project, Boston Redevelopment Authority photographs.

Mar 20

Through the viewfinder: Urban photography in the 1950s

The West End of Boston was once a diverse, bustling, working-class neighborhood of Boston. Then, in...

Petition to Operate Bowling Alleys on the Lord’s Day, 1947, Collection 0100.001, Boston City Archives

Mar 6

Bowling on the Lord's Day: The West End's bowling alleys

If you put 15 Hanover Street into a GPS, it will bring you to the middle of a crosswalk looking...

Frederick Mansfield Campaign pamphlet, 1929, Box 1, Folder 5, Political ephemera 9800.006, Boston City Archives

Mar 4

Notes from the Archives: Winning the women's vote

On August 18, 1920, 36 states ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Women’s...

Washington School, circa 1920-1950, Collection 0403.002

Feb 28

The West End's Washington School: A look at Boston's Public Schools, past and present

Boston's schools have always been an important part of the community! Early in the 20th century...

Drama "Erminie" at Elizabeth Peabody House, 1941. Photo by Roy J. Jacoby. MS22 P029 - Simmons University Archives

Feb 21

More than meets the eye: the Elizabeth Peabody House and Boston’s West End

From the outside, the Elizabeth Peabody House was an unassuming building in Boston’s West End...

Eva Whiting White, 1920, Courtesy of Simmons University Archives

Feb 14

Meet Eva Whiting White, the West End's pioneering social worker

Boston is a city known for its firsts. First subway, first public park, first public library, and...

Walker's Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America, Written in Boston, State of Massachusetts, September 28, 1829.

Feb 12

David Walker: Boston's fiery anti-slavery writer

In the fall of 1829, Boston abolitionist David Walker wrote and published a pamphlet entitled,...

West End Urban Renewal Project sign, circa 1958-1959, Boston Redevelopment Authority photographs, Collection 4010.001, Boston City Archives

Feb 7

Remembering the West End: An introduction to a Boston City Archives blog series

Among the many transformations that Boston has undergone in its more than 300-year history, one of...

Drawing of Harriet Bell Hayden from her obituary, The Cleveland Gazette December 30 1893.

Feb 1

Boston's own Underground Railroad conductors: Harriet and Lewis Hayden

In January of 1846, the Hayden family moved to Boston. The Haydens became key leaders in Boston's...

Jan 15

#onthisday in 1919, molasses crashes through Boston's North End

On January 15, 1919, a 50-foot tall tank ruptured, sending 2.3 million gallons of molasses rushing...

Jan 7

Notes from the Archives: 150 years ago, Dorchester Joins Boston!

In January 1870, Boston annexed the Town of Dorchester. In honor of the 150th anniversary of...

A Memorial of Phillips Brooks from the City of Boston, 1893, Collection 0100.006

Dec 13

On this day in 1835, Phillips Brooks, author of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," is born in Boston

On this day in 1835, Phillips Brooks was born in Boston. Brooks served as the rector of Boston’s...

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Nov 18

#onthisday in 1755: Earthquake knocks the Faneuil Hall Grasshopper from its perch

On November 18, 1755, an earthquake woke Bostonians and knocked Faneuil Hall's grasshopper weather...

Oct 9

#onthisday in 1804: The 'Snow Hurricane' blows off the steeple of Old North Church

On this day in 1804, the "Snow Hurricane" — also known as "the Great Gale of 1804" — made landfall...

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Aug 27

Notes from the Archives: #onthisday in 1918, the Spanish Flu arrived in Boston.

On this day, in 1918, two sailors housed at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier reported to the sickbay with...

Image for rendering of faneuil hall, circa 1850

Aug 26

Happy Birthday, Faneuil Hall!

On August 26, 1826, Faneuil Hall Market, now commonly known as Quincy Market, held its grand opening...

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Aug 15

Notes from the Archives: The kidnapping of Nellie Burns

In April of 1870, Nellie Burns disappeared from her Boston home. More than 100 years later...

Jul 24

Notes from the Archives: Amelia Earhart in Boston

On this day, in 1897, Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas. Did you know that Earhart had a...

Jul 3

Notes from the Archives: July 4, 1861

On July 4, 1861, Bostonians celebrated Independence Day as they grappled with the reality of civil...

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Mar 26

Notes from the Archives: On this day in 1931, Leonard Nimoy is born in Boston's West End

As a young person, Nimoy worked various jobs in the West End. He sold newspapers, worked at local...

Feb 25

Women's History Month: Documenting women's lives at the City Archives

Did you know that the City Archives is full of records documenting the lives of Boston's women? We...

Jan 15

100 years ago today: Molasses crashes through Boston's North End

A 50-foot tall tank ruptured, sending 2.3 million gallons of molasses rushing through the...

Aug 27

Notes from the Archives: #onthisday in 1918, the flu epidemic begins in Boston

On this day, in 1918, two sailors housed at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier reported to the sickbay with...

Aug 23

Notes from the Archive: the High School of Practical Arts time capsule

Today, at 3:30 p.m., Mayor Walsh and Interim School Superintendent Laura Perille will open the new...

Aug 6

Notes from the Archives: #onthisday in 1838, black Bostonians petition for an addition to Smith School

On this day in 1838, a group of black Bostonians petitioned the city for an addition to the Abiel...

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Aug 2

#onthisday in 1893, Eliot Joslin begins diabetes research

On this day in 1893, Eliott Joslin, a Boston physician, examined Mary Higgins, a young girl...

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Jun 19

Notes from the Archives: Juneteenth

On this day in 1865, Union General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 to the inhabitants of...

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May 25

Notes from the Archives: In 1868, Americans commemorated the first Memorial Day

On May 30, 1868, Americans observed the country’s first Memorial Day.