Discover Somerville: History, News, Travel, and Stories

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• 1630 - Somerville is settled
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
• 1842 - Somerville is incorporated
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
• 1845 - SOMERVILLE. [Pop.1,500. Inc. 1842.]
  This new town, lately set off from Charlestown, was the agricultural part of the township.
  
  Somerville lies on the western bank of Mystic River; and Prospect Hill, and part of Winter Hill, to which the Americans retreated after the noble struggle at Bunker Hill, are in Somerville.
  
  The McLean Asylum for the Insane, a noble monument of philanthropy and munificence, is in this town.
  
  Distance from Concord, 14 miles; from Boston, 2.
  An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
  
• 1854 - Somerville
  Somerville, a post-township of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, intersected by three important railroads, about 3 miles N. N. W. from Boston. It is the seat of the McClean Asylum for the Insane, (see Boston,) and of various manufactories, among which may be mentioned an extensive establishment for bleaching. Tuft's college, an institution chartered in 1852, is located on grounds lying partly in this township and partly in Medford. The village of Somerville is situated on the Boston and Maine and on the Boston and Fitchburg railroads, 2 miles from Boston. The township was incorporated in 1842. Population, 3640.
  A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
  
•   1870 - Death by Falling into a Kettle of Boiling Fat
  BOSTON, Oct. 11. - In Somerville, last evening, H. C. LINCOLN, of the firm of LINCOLN & CHAMBERLAIN, lard manufacturers, fell into a large kettle of boiling fat. He was immediately taken out and lived one hour.
  The New York Times
  New York, New York
  October 12, 1870
  
• 1872 - Somerville is incorporated as a city
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
• 1877 - April 15 - 1st telephone installed: Boston-Somerville, Mass
  
  historyorb.com
  
• Somerville Massachusetts, 1890
  SOMERVILLE is a beautiful, prosperous and growing city in the southeast section of Middlesex County, three miles northwest of Boston. Through it run the Boston and Maine Railroad and its divisions, the Eastern and the Boston and Lowell; the Fitchburg Railroad; and the Grand Junction Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad. Street railroads through the Charlestown district, and through Cambridge, also connect it with the metropolis. Sloops approach it by the Mystic on the northeast, and by Miller's River on the southeast. The boundaries are Medford on the northeast, Charlestown on the east, Cambridge on the south and southwest, and Arlington on the northwest. The length of the territory is about four miles northwest and southeast; and its width varies from about 500 feet near Charlestown to two miles for the most part of the eastern section. The assessed area is 1,900 acres. About seven eighths of this has a soil of clay or of clayey gravel, and the remainder is sand.
  
  The surface... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1906
  Somerville, a city of Middlesex co., Mass., a suburb of the city of Boston, on the Mystio River and on the Bos ton and Albany and the Boston and Maine Rs., 2 miles from the initial station in Boston. It contains some notable public and charitable institutions, a state armory, the Powder House of the Revolutionary period, and extensive slaughtering establishments, tanneries, tube-works, bleaoh- eries, oil-refinery, iron-foundries, and manufactures of funeral-wares, glass, electric goods, pictures, jewelry, bricks, cigars, etc. Many of the residences are elegant and costly. Its post-office is a branch of the Boston post-office. Pop. in 1890, 40,152; in 1900, 61,643.
  Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
  
•   1910 - FIREMAN KILLED IN WRECK.
  Passenger in Collision Near Boston.
  
  BOSTON, Dec. 25. - One death resulted to-night from a Christmas morning railroad wreck in the Somerville yard of the Boston & Maine Railroad. A freight train, a shifting engine, and a Haverhill bound passenger train met in collision. William J. Noyes, the fireman of the passenger locomotive, died at the Relief Hospital of a broken neck, and seven passengers of the Haverhill train were slightly injured but were able to get to their homes.
  
  The shifting engine struck a frog the wrong way and crashed into the end of an inbound train from Portland. This swung a number of freight cars about, so that the engine of the passenger train hit them. The people in the first passenger car were badly shaken and the passenger engine toppled over and several cars were smashed.
  The New York Times
  New York, New York
  December 26, 1910
  
• 1917 - Archibald Query invented marshmallow Fluff in 1917 in Somerville
  
  
  Read more about Joseph Archibald QUERY
• Marshmallow Fluff dates back as far as 1917 when it was sold door to door in Somerville, Massachusetts.
  
  wjbq.com
  
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• 2023 - Whether you're a resident or just visiting, here's a list of places to go and things to do in Somerville:
  Davis Square: This is the heart of Somerville, known for its bustling atmosphere, unique shops, and a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. It's a great place to start your exploration.
  
  Somerville Theater: A historic theater that hosts movies, concerts, and special events. It's a beautiful venue with an old-school charm.
  
  Tufts University: Explore the campus of Tufts University, known for its beautiful architecture and green spaces. The campus is open to the public, and you can stroll around the picturesque quad.
  
  Assembly Row: This area has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years and is now a shopping and entertainment destination. You'll find outlet stores, restaurants, a movie theater, and even a Legoland Discovery Center.
  
  Mystic River Reservation: Enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, jogging, or picnicking in this beautiful natural reserve. The Mystic River runs through it, offering scenic views and a peaceful escape from the city.
  
  Bao Bao Bakery: A... Read MORE...