USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > South Boston > History of South Boston (its past and present) and prospects for the future, with sketches of prominent men > Part 19
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In 1870 the people were earnest, they were full of spirit, and pos- sessed a strong desire to advance ; there were many wealthy people, and plenty of work made provision for all who did not wish to be idle. The people were sociable to a remarkable degree, there were but few jealousies, and the general magnificence of the district, and its many natural advantages, made it a section of contentment and happiness.
In 1900 the population had almost doubled, there were many public spirited men, yet there were others who were public spirited only so far as they themselves could thereby be benefitted. The greatest change in the population, next to its great increase, was its cosmopolitan character, and at the close of the century natives of nearly every foreign country were residents. There was scarcely a section of the district not built upon, and but little available vacant land for building purposes, and there was a strong indication of a crowded residental district.
Yet, crowded as they were, the people well and proudly boasted that there was not a more law abiding section in the entire country. Though the foreign born, or the descendents of the same, predominated, though there was greater discomfort in many ways, though there was a greater competition in business of all kinds, and in manual labor, yet the people were well behaved and no real serious crimes were com- mitted.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
One of the principal changes, also, was in the occupations of the people. Where, in 1870, hundreds were busily employed in the mills, foundries and factories, thirty years later thousands were employed in shops or stores, principally in the city proper. The manufacturing establishments had long since passed away, skilled laborers lost their employment and were obliged to turn their hand at anything that came along. Young people worked in offices and retail stores, and the middle class took up professions, and, almost without exception, made a success at their calling.
It would be impossible to relate all the changes that have occurred, hence a few will suffice.
Three new grammar schools were erected during this period, mak- ing the total number, in the district, eight.
The population between Dorchester Street and City Point increased rapidly, and it became necessary to build another school. In 1873 the Gaston School for girls was built at the corner of L and Fifth Streets. Washington Village assumed such proportions that it became necessary to establish a school for the young people of that section, and, in 1878, the John A. Andrew school for boys and girls was built on Dorchester Street, near the junction with Dorchester Avenue. In December, 1890, still another school was built above Dorchester . Street, the Thomas N. Hart School, for boys, corner of H and Fifth Streets. The tide of population seemed to be toward the Point, hence the additional school facilities.
After nearly ten years of agitation plans were made for a high school, and the work commenced in 1896. The old reservoir on Dor- chester Heights was levelled, and the site taken for the purpose.
As with schools, so with churches, and new houses of worship were quickly erected to meet the demand of the residents.
In St. Augustine's church, on Dorchester Street, Mass was cele- brated for the first time July 2, 1871, and the church was dedicated August 30, 1874 ; St. Vincent's church, corner of E and Third Streets, was dedicated July 19, 1874 ; the Fourth Universalist Society changed its name to the Broadway Universalist Society, in 1872, and occupied the present building ; the present Phillips church was built in 1879; the Grace Episcopal church, on Dorchester Street, was built in 1875 ; the Church of the Redeemer, on East Fourth Street, was occupied for the first time May 13, 1885, the society, for ten years previous, having been known as St. Matthew's chapel ; the City Point Methodist Episcopal church organized in December, 1878; the church of Our Lady of the Rosary, on West Sixth Street, was dedicated Christmas day, 1885 ; the Church of Our Lady Czenstochowa, on Boston Street, was dedicated in 1893; the Dorchester Street Methodist Episcopal church was started in 1870: the Fourth Presbyterian church was organized in Wait's hall in 1870, and ten years later purchased the present house of worship from the Methodists. The South
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
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BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF SOUTH BOSTON, 1893.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
Baptist Society, one of the oldest religious societies in the district, abandoned its church, corner of F Street and Broadway, in 1899, and united with the society of the Fourth Street Baptist church, and since then the united congregations have worshipped in the handsome edifice corner of L and Fourth Streets. The Lithuanians built a church on East Seventh Street, where they worshipped until the same was destroyed by fire in 1899, and now a handsome building is being erected elsewhere in the district.
St. Augustine's parish and the Gate of Heaven parish became greatly extended, and the congregation increased until it was found necessary to erect chapels, both of which were first opened for worship in 1900. St. Eulalia's chapel, in the Gate of Heaven parish, was built at the corner of O Street and Broadway, and St. Monica's chapel, part of St. Augustine's parish, was remodelled from the old Unity chapel, on Dorchester Street.
The South Boston branch of the Boston Public Library was opened in 1885, and the Andrew Square branch opened in the John A. Andrew school in January, 1901.
The South Boston police court was established in 1872 and has almost continually, since then, been located corner of Fourth and Dor- chester Streets.
In 1873 the excellent opportunities offered for bathing on the south shore induced the city to establish a free public bath-house for men and boys near the foot of L Street. In a few years the attendance increased so as to require larger quarters and additional closets. Soon this resort became the finest, of its kind, in the country. Toward the close of the century the attendance often reached five thousand in a day.
A public bath for women and girls was early established at the Point, but, when work on the Marine Park commenced, it was removed to the foot of M Street. In 1899 three voting booths were placed near men's establishment, for temporary use for the women and girls, and the M Street house was abolished.
In 1900 plans were made for a magnificent new bath-house for men and boys, women and girls.
Broadway Bridge, urged for many years prior to 1870, was com- pleted in 1871, and provided a fine avenue direct to a section of the city where retail stores were numerous. The draw and foundation of this bridge were rebuilt in 1875, and have been reconstructed several times since then. Thus continuing Broadway to Albany Street, it was necessary to have an elevated bridge over the tracks of the Old Colony division and the grade of Broadway and Dorchester Avenue, in this vicinity, was greatly changed. About 1885, when it was desired to make a further extension of Broadway, between Albany and Washing- ton Streets, another bridge was built. Broadway now begins at Washington Street and ends at Marine Park, City Point. Another
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON
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L STREET BATHS FOR MEN AND BOYS, WOMEN AND GIRLS. ( From photographs taken in !899.)
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
new bridge, in the same location, but of still higher grade, is soon to be commenced, and will provide additional accommodations for the South Boston people.
By the abolition of the Dorchester Avenue grade crossing, and, diverting the tracks across Southampton and Boston Streets and Dor- chester Avenue, beyond Andrew Square, those thoroughfares have also recently been elevated and bridges erected over the railroad tracks.
Much of the border of South Boston, especially on the north shore, is made land, having been reclaimed from tide water by the slow work of filling in. What is now known as Commonwealth Lands was at one time water, and it has taken nearly half a century to bring about this change, although the greater part of the work has been done during the past twenty-five years.
Preparatory plans for this filling in were made as far back as 1830, although but little was done until 1850. There were many unavoidable delays, and the greater part of the work has been accomplished since 1870. Mention has been made in another chapter of the Boston Wharf Company filling in for its own use. In 1869, the wharf company sold to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Co. the land from which now extends Pier I, comprising in all about twenty-five acres. The adjoin- ing fifty acres were disposed of to the Boston and Albany Railroad.
The Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad later went into the hands of a receiver, and the Commonwealth foreclosed the mortgage to the wharf company, but the Boston and Albany retained its property.
In 1873 a new deal was made. The Boston and Albany Railroad Co., the Boston Wharf Co., the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts made a four-part agreement. The city was to build two bridges across Fort Point Channel and was given the right by all other owners to lay out two main avenues across the property northerly and easterly.
The eastern avenue is now Congress Street, but the northern avenue has never been laid out, but is still in contemplation, and there will, probably, some day, be a bridge and thoroughfare from the foot of Oliver Street to South Boston. The right was also given to lay out cross streets, in this made land, without incurring land damages to the owners.
The Commonwealth, at that time, agreed to fill up the corner piece, now Pier I, and build retaining walls, the companies to fill in their lots, the filling to be taken from the harbor, thereby increasing its depth.
At about this time the Commonwealth bought out the shore rights between B and E Streets, which carried them up to what is now known as Cypher Street, and in 1875 began the filling, and completed what was known as a twenty-five acre lot.
In 1877, 1878 and 1879 the state built a pier at this point, and later leased the twenty-five acre lot to the New York and New England
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
Railroad. In 1880 the state sold this lot to the New York and New England Railroad, and, shortly after this deal, that road made a trade with the Boston and Albany Railroad, and a section of the Woonsocket Division was exchanged for the flats owned by the Boston and Albany Railroad, east of the fifty-acre lot. At the same time it bought the twenty-five acres and also secured a twelve-acre lot owned by the state east of B Street and south of Congress Street.
Thus there was remaining to the state everything east of B Street which it at once proceeded to fill, and up to the present time there are over 170 acres.
In 1900 there was completed the great Commonwealth dock, said to be the largest in the country, twelve acres in extent, and capable of accommodating six large steamers. This is located directly at the foot of B Street, and east of the railroad property.
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SOUTH
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FORT POINT CHANNEL, SOUTH BAY AND LOWER SOUTH BOSTON. 1879. Alger's, Willmarth's, and other foundries in the foreground.
The completion of Pier I, closely followed by the building of other similar docks, increased traffic on Congress Street to such an extent as to necessitate a new thoroughfare, - Summer Street extension. The Legislature, in 1896, authorized this change, and soon 'after plans were made for a new avenue, in continuation of Summer Street, to Congress Street, with bridges over A Street, the railroad tracks, B and C Streets and falling to grade west of E Street.
The Commonwealth Lands have been laid out in streets, although not yet built upon very largely. North of First Street was laid out Cypher Street, then Anchor, Bullock, Mt. Washington Avenue, Claflin, Danby, Edmong, Fargo and then Summer Street extension. The city took the land between Cypher Street and Mt. Washington Avenue, and
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
between C and D Streets, where it built a large and well equipped gymnasium, with a playground around it.
Manufacturing establishments purchased land and erected large buildings in the vicinity of Summer Street Extension. The whole tract north of this Summer Street Extension is practically held, to be used exclusively in connection with the piers and docks.
South Bay was originally 360 acres in extent, but by the exten- sion of wharves, and solid filling, it is now less than half that size.
In 1848 a contract was made for filling twenty acres of these flats belonging to the city, to cost about $400,000, but in 1856 the contract was changed, the number of acres increased, so that the cost, when completed in 1862, was about three times that amount. This was, however, principally on the city side and has been used largely for dwellings, although a portion of it has been used for the City Hospital buildings.
In 1894 that section of the district known as "Cork Point," or " Swanland," was doomed to destruction. This territory, bounded by Fourth Street, Dorchester Avenue and Foundry Street, also included Ontario, Swan and Colony Streets, thick with tenement houses.
The cause of the wholesale demolition of buildings was the pur- chasing of all the property by the New York, New Haven and Hart- ford Railroad Co., a corporation that controlled the Old Colony and Boston and Providence Railroads, and which, since then, has secured control of nearly all railroads from Boston to Southern Massachusetts.
Scores of families were deprived of their homes, through this change, and many residents of that section were obliged to move out of the district, in order to secure homes with rent as reasonable as they paid before.
Another railroad deal, later on, was the combination of all the southern divisions, four in number, to build a central depot. The corporation was known as the Boston Terminal Co.
The scheme was carried through in 1896. The originator of the idea was Mayor Josiah Quincy, and, through his explanation to the officials of the several roads the benefit to be gained, and the offer on his part, representing the city of Boston, to present to the new terminal company a portion of the land on which to build the terminal station, the scheme was adopted by the railroad officials.
The Legislature of 1896 empowered Charles F. Choate, William Bliss, William T. Hart, Royal C. Taft and Charles P. Clark, to be a corporation by the name of The Boston Terminal Company, with extensive powers to construct a union passenger station and take lands for said purpose, and certain streets were abolished.
The new depot was completed and opened January 1, 1899.
To provide land for the site for the depot, Federal Street (for- merly Sea Street) between the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street, to the Federal Street Bridge, was given to the new company, and thus an important avenue to South Boston was abolished.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
Senator James A. Gallivan and others, however, succeeded in incorporating in the bill, by an amendment in 1897, a provision for the erection of a bridge and an avenue, in extension of Cove Street, to take the place of Federal Street, abolished, and the Terminal Company to pay a proportion of the expense of the same. The Terminal Company pro- fessed to be willing to build a tunnel, or subway, under its tracks, from the corner of Dorchester Avenue, as extended, and Mt. Washington Avenue, to a point near Kneeland Street, thus to provide a means to reach that section of the city, but South Boston people were not favor- able to this and insisted on the Cove Street extension and bridge.
That history repeats itself, was proven by the contest that followed between the South Boston people, striving for their rights, and a grasp- ing corporation, that wished to deny them what was honestly theirs.
Even after the Legislature had decided that the bridge should be built, the Terminal Company, in 1899, endeavored to defeat the deci- sion of that body, and threatened to rescind the law. Failing in this, an effort was made to make the proposed extension as narrow as pos- sible, and the Terminal Company would not consent to anything more than a fifty foot thoroughfare. Five of the South Boston members of the lower branch of the Legislature fought earnestly for a wider street and bridge, but were defeated, and provision made for only a fifty foot thoroughfare.
That victory won, the Terminal Company immediately began to plan for the defeat of the entire measure, and sought the intervention of the War Department, at Washington, to prevent the building of the bridge, on the ground that it would be an "interference to navigation," and on this final stand a most bitter fight was waged.
But South Boston had a representative in Congress, who was. determined that the measure should not be defeated, and Hon. Henry F. Naphen battled with this opposition in a manner that won for him unlimited praise throughout the city.
A board of investigation held several hearings in Boston, attended by hundreds of leading South Boston citizens as well as experts, but notwithstanding the strong argument in favor of the bridge, and against the grounds of the opposition, this board was about to report unfavor- ably to the South Boston people, when Congressman Naphen personally pointed out to Secretary Root of the War Department, the true state of affairs, proved that the building of the bridge would be no "inter- ference," and that the position of the Terminal Company was unfair, with the result that he finally won. Secretary Root did not recognize the report of the investigation committee, and scorned the coterie of capitalists and others, decreeing that there would be no interference, and thus made the way clear for the building of the bridge.
It was provided that the Terminal Company should pay toward the construction of the bridge an amount equal to what it would have paid for the proposed subway, and the city and state pay the balance.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
After another delay of several months, work was finally commenced for the foundation of the bridge, and it is expected the structure will be completed in a year or two.
Almost immediately following the opening of the new union sta- tion, work was commenced on the new avenue to South Boston, in con- tinuation of Summer Street.
The other new avenues in South Boston, laid out during this period, were Swett Street. recently re-named Southampton Street, and the handsome boulevard along the south shore known as the Strandway.
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POINT PLEASANT HOUSE.
COYNE'S LOBSTER HOUSE.
POINT BREEZE HOUSE AND JOHNSON'S LANDING.
Former City Point hotels removed to make way for Marine Park.
Shortly after 1870 it became necessary for an avenue to connect Washington Village and the South End, and the agitation for such an avenue resulted in the building of Swett Street, in 1875, from Andrew Square to Albany Street.
The Strandway is one of the magnificent, broad avenues connect- ing the chain of parks of which Boston may proudly boast, and which, when completed, will be the most beautiful in the world. Beginning at the Back Bay Fens, the chain of parks includes Leverett Park, Jamaica Park, Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park, and, lastly, our own Marine Park. The Columbia Road, in Dorchester, and the Strandway, connect Franklin and Marine Parks.
This system of parks and boulevards was authorized by popular vote in 1875. There was not much done, however, until 1887, when
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
all plans had been completed and work at the South Boston end was ·commenced.
What remained of the old battery at City Point was purchased by the city, and for several years thereafter the principal work was that of filling in along the eastern shore-this being for the Marine Park, which has gradually, year by year, taken shape, until now it is said to be the finest marine park in New England. A pier was built where once was Johnson's Landing, the old bath-houses for women and girls were torn down and moved to the foot of M Street, several of the old hotels were demolished, or removed to other locations. Several years afterward, when Castle Island was secured from the national govern- ment for use as a public park, the bridge was built across from the mainland, the land along the shore was graded, and trees planted.
Along the south shore, also, work progressed rapidly. Consider- able property was taken for the Strandway. An effort was made to increase the tax of the property owners in the vicinity, for the better- ment thus made, but this was rescinded, as the result of opposition of leading men of the district.
There is one connecting link of the Strandway unfinished, a short stretch between the foot of G Street and the foot of Mercer Street, and it is hoped that the present and future mayors will see that this is completed very soon, thus finishing the entire chain of parks and boulevards.
Probably the most stirring event in the last quarter of the nine- teenth century was the strike of the employees of the South Boston Railroad Company. This was in 1887 and continued more than a month.
For the year previous there had been considerable complaint among the employees that they were not receiving just treatment, and, naturally, they sought to secure their rights. The men of the road had been organized by Charles J. Chance of District 30, Knights of Labor, and they desired that, what they considered their rights, should be accorded them.
They had twenty grievances, which were submitted to the officials of the road, and December 31, 1886, President Hersey replied to the letter of the employees, agreeing, however, to but few of the requests.
Little by little the feeling among the men grew and there were several hundred who wished to strike early in the year. Wise heads advised further consideration, preferring to go slow.
Nevertheless, a strike was declared at midnight, February 6, 1887, and February 7 was the first day of the tie-up. A meeting in Gray's hall, attended by over 700 men, voted to take this action. These in- cluded conductors, drivers, hostlers, stablemen and tow boys.
During the day of the 7th, the strikers, divided into squads of three, lined themselves along the car routes between City Point and State Street and notified the people of the situation. This was greatly
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appreciated by the public, especially the working people, as it prevented unnecessary delays on the corners.
By the fourth day a committee of ten had procured 244 horses and half that number of coaches, wagons and other conveyances, and a transportation line was started by the strikers, continuing until the close of the strike, the public patronizing liberally and asking for no change.
Public sympathy was almost entirely with the strikers, as it was considered their grievances were just. Their conduct was excellent, and there was no fault to be found.
About a week after the tie-up was inaugurated the officials of the road made an offer to the strikers, and, while the public considered it a satisfactory way out of the difficulty, it was not accepted.
The officials offered to grant all the requests asked, and would take back the men, but provided that twenty-three of the strikers should not be taken back. The officials stated that twenty-three men had accepted work in the company when the strike was declared, and the company did not wish to discharge them.
The strike continued, with renewed determination on both sides, although the strikers gradually kept losing ground. The public felt that a mistake had been made in not accepting the company's offer. Assistance, however, continued to come in from all parts of the country, and the coach line continued doing good business, although the railroad company began to run cars which were well patronized.
Throughout these exciting days the strikers had no better friend than Rev. Fr. Metcalf, pastor of the Gate of Heaven church. Although Gray's hall had been engaged for a month by the strikers, it was taken away from them, and they were without a meeting place until Father Metcalf gave the use of St. Michael's hall for as long as the men desired.
During the early days of the strike there was much excitement on the streets. The strikers behaved admirably, however, but it was over- zealous friends that caused the trouble. The police were kept busy and dozens of extra men were assigned from the city stations. No one was allowed to loiter on the streets through which the cars passed. In the vicinity of the stables the men, who took the strikers' places, were given every possible protection, yet there were many assaults. A serious row occurred one night at the Bay View stables, and several men were sent to the hospital as a result. Finally, the men in the employ of the company used to wait at the stables until fifteen or twenty could leave for their boarding houses together.
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