Posts Tagged ‘industry’
Aug 2: Crafting Cambridge’s Past
Sunday, August 21-4 p.m.Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci Community Plaza, Hampshire St, Inman SquareRain date Aug 9Free for all agesNo registration required; just show up! About the event Discover the rich heritage of Cambridge by exploring its historic clay, glass, and bookmaking industries through hands-on, inspired crafts. This program invites you to dive into the unique…
Read MoreJuly 8: Cambridge Through Time Course
July 8, 15, and 223-5 pmCambridge Center for Adult Ed 42 Brattle StreetRegistration required Join us for a summer course! Cambridge is a collection of rich and diverse neighborhoods, each with its own distinct history and flavor. Over the course of three Wednesday this July we will explore three of these neighborhoods – North Cambridge,…
Read MoreAug 12 & 16: The History of Candy-Making in Cambridge Guided Tour — SOLD OUT
Details The History of Candy-Making in Cambridge Guided TourWednesday, August 12, 5:30-7:00 p.m.Sunday, August 16, 10:00-11:30 a.m.Registration required$15 Why Candy? Why Cambridge? One of the industries for which Cambridge is best known is candy-making – at its peak in the mid-twentieth century, the city boasted 66 different candy companies, including Squirrel Brand, Daggetts, and NECCO,…
Read MoreWest Cambridge History Hub
2026 is our year of West Cambridge! Check out our upcoming events A Brief History of West Cambridge As defined by the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department, the neighborhood of West Cambridge is bounded on the west by Fresh Pond, on the north by Concord Avenue, on the south by the Charles River and…
Read MoreDec. 10: Mayflower Memories
Mayflower Memories: Gathering Stories of East Cambridge Wednesday, December 106-7 pmEast Cambridge History Center625 Cambridge StreetFree Join History Cambridge for “Mayflower Memories,” a special program dedicated to preserving the vibrant history of East Cambridge, focused on the iconic Mayflower Poultry business and the surrounding neighborhood. This event offers a unique opportunity to gather, connect, and…
Read MoreNov. 24: Making It in East Cambridge
Making It in East Cambridge: Industry and Innovation History Cafe with Mike Kuchta Monday, November 24, 20256-7 pmEast Cambridge History Center, 625 Cambridge Street (the former Mayflower Poultry site) Beginning in the early 1800s, East Cambridge grew into a regionally- and nationally-important center of manufacturing, activity which largely disappeared by the late 1960s. Prominent local industries included…
Read MoreFeb 16: We Were Here
Monday, February 16, 20266:30 pmFoundry Theater101 Rogers Street, CambridgeFree; no registration required Back by popular demand! We Were Here: An Enhanced Performance Arranged and written by Betsy Bard and Micaela León Perdomo, We Were Here is a play exploring the history of immigrant workers at the Blake & Knowles Foundry in East Cambridge by Youth…
Read MoreThe Rise of Industry in East Cambridge
From Salt Marshes to Industrial Hub: The Story of East Cambridge The area we now know as East Cambridge was for many centuries largely salt marshes and mud flats that, at low tide, virtually cut the area off from other parts of the city, as well as from Boston. The rich oyster beds contained there…
Read MoreFurniture making in East Cambridge, birthplace of the Davenport sofa in America’s Gilded Age
by Michael Kuchta, 2025 For more than a century, from the 1850s until after World War II, East Cambridge was home to a number of nationally prominent makers of custom furniture. The industry grew with the help of skilled and semiskilled laborers, mostly recent immigrants; the invention of steam-powered saws, planers, lathes and other woodworking…
Read MoreSept. 28: “Smoke This” Rib Fest
Sunday, September 28, 202512– 4 pm Cambridge Street in East Cambridge Between Fulkerson Street and Fifth StreetFree (tickets required for tastings) Join us for this delicious annual community event! You already know that East Cambridge has a fascinating industrial history. Now, you can learn more about it while enjoying some delicious BBQ! We’re excited to…
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