Old North Cambridge

By Thomas F. O’Malley, 1929 The literature of Cambridge contains but little relating to the early days in North Cambridge. This does not necessarily mean that North Cambridge history is lacking in interest, but rather that the subject has not been written up. The region between Harvard Square and Alewife Brook is rich in historic…

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A Mystery Lingers Over Huron Avenue

By Michael Kenney, 2013 Cambridge’s streets have histories and stories, just as the city itself does. And among those stories, Huron Avenue is one of the richest – and one with a bit of mystery. There are three main sources for these histories. The detailed records compiled by Lewis M. Hastings, the city engineer from…

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The Huron Avenue Area: Development of a Streetcar Suburb

By Charles M. Sullivan, 2007 Huron Avenue is one of the newest neighborhoods in Cambridge, but it is intimately connected with one of the oldest. It is the sole example of the classic 19th century streetcar suburb in Cambridge, and owes its existence to another neighborhood’s rejection of that mode of transportation. The development of…

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The Makings of City Streets By Michael Kenney

As we lean into this year’s theme of “What Does Cambridge Make?”, a look at street names reveals a product–filled past. Porter Square was Union Square until 1899, when it was renamed in honor of Zachariah B. Porter, the proprietor of Porter’s Hotel; many claim he lent his name to the specialty of the house,…

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