Cambridgeport was known as ‘Greasy Village’; ‘Soap and Bones’ fundraiser will highlight why
History Cambridge plans a Sept. 29 fundraiser to explore Cambridgeport’s past – one shaped by the making of soap and other products – and look to its future.
A giant coalition that came together in the 1960s defeated a bigger threat: the ‘Inner Belt’ highway
The Inner Belt was a proposed eight-lane highway cutting through Somerville and Central Square. The combined efforts of hundreds of activists prevented it.
Attend meetings on MBTA cuts, lab buildings, housing, Memorial Drive, bike safety and more
Public meetings this week look at reversing plans for bus cuts; zoning around lab buildings, parking and multifamily housing; Memorial Drive closings and bike safety in Somerville; a greenhouse gas emissions law; and much more.
‘Born In Cambridge’ authors plan a walking tour this month of Cambridgeport and its innovations
What is it about Cambridge that has made it such a significant incubator for creativity in so many areas? What, the authors ask, are the ingredients in Cambridge’s “secret sauce”?
Attend meetings on Tuesday primary election, ‘linkage’ fees and bicycle lanes on Brattle Street
Public meetings this week look at state primary ballot counts; larger “linkage” fees for affordable housing construction; bike lanes for Brattle Street; and more.
High school foundations date back to 1800s; Parents’ moral panics go back almost as far
There was an extreme lack of confidence in the public school system in the 1840s. Parents feared for their children’s morality and wanted “purification” for their schools.
Eliodora ‘Josefina’ Yanguas Perez opened Harvard Square’s first European-style café
Today there are at least 20 cafés in Cambridge where patrons can enjoy espresso drinks. In 1959, there was exactly one. That was the year Spanish immigrant Josefina Yanguas opened Café Pamplona on Bow Street.
The Foundry and Squirrel Brand Apartments share something: examples of adaptive reuse
Cambridge is no stranger to adaptive reuse projects, which revitalize an existing structure for new purposes. One has been around since 2002; the other is opening soon.
Being an ally to Indigenous people isn’t difficult, from calling legislators to learning town names
In addition to commemorating the annual International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, there are several ways to show solidarity and support for Indigenous people.
In identifying ways to improve neighborhoods, one lesson is: Students must get out and explore
A partnership with History Cambridge gave Harvard Summer Academy students a way to connect the past with the personal to better see themselves within a tradition of activism and change.
