The nucleus of North Cambridge grew from a colonial tavern at a simple road junction to a small village around Porter’s Station (now Porter Square), and finally to the transportation hub and shopping destination we know today.

Benjamin F. Olken partially financed his MIT engineering degree by swapping or selling secondhand goods. After graduation in the 1930s, Olken began a tiny bicycle rental business – and by the 1970s was catering to a booming market with rentals (tandems extra), sales, maps and touring guidance.