Vargo - Hidden History of Boston

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2018 by Dina Vargo

All rights reserved

Front cover: Amelia Earhart outside the Denison House in Boston. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

First published 2018

e-book edition 2018

ISBN 978.1.43966.438.4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018932094

print edition ISBN 978.1.62585.874.0

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For my snug, MaliniI couldnt have dreamed you up.

And for Henry and George Naismith and Alexis Meltzeralways make time to do something you love.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The book is here! Allow me to break out the Cherry Bounce and raise a celebratory toast to all those who helped along the way. Let me start by thanking my partner, Malini Biswas, without whom I would be a crazy lady spitting out random history stories to strangers on the street. De facto editors Wicket and Rosie provided hours of comfort and occasional insight while cuddling up on my lap or beside the computer while I wrote.

Special thanks to the entire Boston By Foot organization, led by Samantha Nelson, Cortnee Bollard and Bostons best volunteer tour guides, for making the True Lies and False Facts Tour possible every year and, as such, creating the catalyst for this book. As always, thanks to my Graveyard Girls (and guy!) Judy Glock, Gretchen Grozier, Heather Pence, Margaret Bratschi and Paul LaShoto for their encouragement, story ideas and rogue visits into roadside burying grounds.

There would be no book without the resources provided by the Boston Public Library, which introduced me to the wide world of its online and oh, so easily accessible database of newspaper articleswhat a treasure-trove! Id also like to thank Jack Eckert, the Public Services librarian at the Center for the History of Medicine/Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine at Harvard, and Monica Shin, the Digital Projects librarian at the BPL. Special thanks to Bob Cullum, who permitted me use of the wonderful photographs taken by his grandfather Leslie Jones.

Im also grateful to my acquisitions editor at The History Press, J. Banks Smither, for making this such a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Thanks, too, to my Front Street CrewMichele Meltzer, Stephanie Cooper, Alison and Natalie Phelan, Michele Campbell, Chris Anderson, Karen Giroux, Denise Murphy, Beth OGrady, Mara Mendelsohn and Shari Hewsonfor being my cheering squad at local book talks.

Finally, this book really would not be possible without my friend and editor Sally Ebeling, who offered invaluable perception, probing questions, guidance and generally better words.

INTRODUCTION

If theres one thing that Ive learned while writing and giving walking tours of Bostons history for the past ten years, its that theres always still more to learn. It doesnt matter how many books Ive read, how many lectures Ive attended or how many tours Ive taken; theres always something new to discover. Or, better yet, uncover.

I love what I call offbeat historythe stories that arent often told, the B-side to the big hit, the less attractive brother or sister. The stories that, were they kids, would get picked last in gym. The underdog stories. You know how it goesthe B-side is a musical masterpiece, the ugly duckling is really charming and the kid who gets picked last turns into the teams secret weapon. You never see the underdog story coming, which makes it even better. And because its less told, it feels more special.

Buried deep within the pages of history books and newspaper columns or even in the text of historical markers is where you find these stories. You just have to keep your eyes open for them. Of course, Boston is one of the most storied cities with one of the longest histories in the United States, making it much more likely to find some hidden gems. Some are shocking, some are revolting, some are inspiring. Hidden History of Boston has a bit of them all.

I started collecting oddball stories to create an annual special tour for Boston By Foot, the best walking tour nonprofit in Boston (dont take my word for it; book a tour!). True Lies and False Facts: A Questionable Tour of Boston is built on the old maxim The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and every year around April Fools Day, we explore a different neighborhood by way of tales that may be true or may be false. Our tourees try to guess which are which, and theres never been a person who hasnt been stumped by at least one of the stories. Who would think that pious Puritan settlers in Boston banned the celebration of Christmas, while fully supporting a raucous annual parade that culminated in burning an effigy of the pope? Who would believe that before Amelia Earhart became a great aviator, she was a social worker at a local settlement house? Some stories are darker than others, like the murder of two innocent children by a psychopathic preteen. There are stories of tragedies, like the fatal plunge of a trolley car into Fort Point Channel, killing forty-six people; and of poor Susanna Geary, stuffed piece by piece in several suitcases. There are stories of uplift, like that of the Crafts, who escaped slavery in Georgia and built their lives anew with great support of the Boston Brahmins. And then there are the truly oddball stories like the so-called Zoo Shipwreck, which unleashed monkey mayhem in Salem, and that of William Mumler, who claimed he could take a photo of you with your favorite dearly departed aunt.

Whether your tastes run to murder and mayhem, to things that go bump in the night or to little-known stories of people who should be much better known (or should have known much better!), Hidden History of Boston will have something for you. And if you think you know everything about Bostons history, you might be surprised.

Chapter 1

DO THEY KNOW ITS CHRISTMAS?

The Banning of Christmas, 1659

Samuel Breck sat down to recount how Christmas was celebrated in Boston during his boyhood years, back around 1780. He came from an upper-crust family, and while his family was having a gathering, playing cards and chatting together, a group from the meanest class forced their way into his home. He described them as disguised in filthy clothes and oftimes with masked faces; the band of misfits demanded everyones attention by joining the card game, sitting on the furniture and generally making a nuisance of themselves. The only way to get rid of them was to give them some cash: Ladies and gentlemen sitting by the fire. Put your hands in your pockets and give us our desire!

Still not satisfied, the devilish crew then staged an impromptu play, acting out the death and revival of a reveler, right there in the midst of what had been a lovely evening for Breck and his friends. After about a half hour, the troupe disappeared, only for another group to come along and take their place, acting out a similar series of comic scenes and taking leave with a few coins.