BOSTON'S TRANSFORMATION: 1880 - 1920
Despite the city’s declining rate of growth, Boston changed dramatically. Boston and surrounding towns and cities continued to industrialize and urbanize. The Irish emerged as a political power, while a host of new immigrant groups arrived, fueling the industrial economy, building the city out, and making Boston more diverse than ever. New building and transportation technologies allowed the downtown area to grow denser at the same time that streetcar lines and parks sprawled the city outwards. Middle class Bostonians became commuters, riding to work from their streetcar suburbs on trolleys, the elevated, and America’s first subway.
PEOPLEEuropean ethnic diversity, increasing African-American presence, arrival of first Chinese
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PLACEStreetcar, elevated, subway transit; landmaking in outer neighborhoods
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ECONOMYShipping and commerce begin to decline, manufacturing rises, unions form
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PLANNINGEarly professional planning, municipal initiatives backed by city
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PEOPLE
Throughout this era, the North End housed a shifting mix of these groups as well as Poles, Portuguese, Lithuanians, Greeks, and others. By the 1920s however, the North End had become fully Italian. In the central city, the wealthy Yankee neighborhoods of Back Bay and Beacon Hill remained closed to the poor immigrant enclaves of Boston’s ethnics. The Yankee population responded to the strengthening immigrant populations with measures meant to contain them. The Yankee-dominated state government, increasingly took local power away from Irish-dominated Boston.
Other non-Yankee groups also gained strength in this period. Boston’s established African-American community witnessed many firsts in education and innovation. The Jewish, Greek, and Chinese communities established newspapers and community institutions.
Other non-Yankee groups also gained strength in this period. Boston’s established African-American community witnessed many firsts in education and innovation. The Jewish, Greek, and Chinese communities established newspapers and community institutions.
PLACE
Subway construction, Park Street Station
This era was a second consecutive era of significant growth and expansion. The city grew outwards via new streetcar lines and newly created land. With minimal exceptions, Boston completed its last major land-making projects during this era. The Back Bay landfill project was completed in 1894.
This period was the era of streetcars, with lines reaching out from the center in all directions. The first underwater streetcar tunnel was constructed to better connect East Boston to downtown. Other subway and elevated line extensions followed. By the end of this period, rapid transit extended as far as Cambridge, Everett, East Boston, South Boston, Kenmore Square, and Forest Hills. Streetcars extended even further to West Roxbury, Brookline, Brighton, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, and Dorchester (O'Connor, 1995). Meanwhile, the downtown residential neighborhoods in the North End, West End, and South Cove continued to be crowded, low-income, immigrant neighborhoods.
Many of the city’s major open spaces and parklands were built during this era of growth as well. Frederick Law Olmstead planned the famous Emerald Necklace, which took two decades to construct. Mayor O’Brien also used city funds to buy undeveloped land on the city edges to preserve for public parks (Chamberlain, 2008).
This period was the era of streetcars, with lines reaching out from the center in all directions. The first underwater streetcar tunnel was constructed to better connect East Boston to downtown. Other subway and elevated line extensions followed. By the end of this period, rapid transit extended as far as Cambridge, Everett, East Boston, South Boston, Kenmore Square, and Forest Hills. Streetcars extended even further to West Roxbury, Brookline, Brighton, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, and Dorchester (O'Connor, 1995). Meanwhile, the downtown residential neighborhoods in the North End, West End, and South Cove continued to be crowded, low-income, immigrant neighborhoods.
Many of the city’s major open spaces and parklands were built during this era of growth as well. Frederick Law Olmstead planned the famous Emerald Necklace, which took two decades to construct. Mayor O’Brien also used city funds to buy undeveloped land on the city edges to preserve for public parks (Chamberlain, 2008).
ECONOMY
Boston fell victim to several financial scares and recessions. Economic growth slowed even as Boston grew outward and upward to accommodate immigration and new technologies. Boston watched its standing among US cities decline. Its ports fell from the 2nd busiest in the US to just the 6th (US Census Bureau).
PLANNING
City planning as a profession was formally created and recognized. The City Beautiful movement in particular caught on in Boston where its supporters aimed to transform the physical and political structures of the city, although its impact would be limited.