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When Mount Auburn Cemetery was for the horsey set

By adamg on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 12:01pm

Mount Auburn Cemetery recounts the days when the Cambridge Horse Railroad provided service to the cemetery all the way from Bowdoin Square in Boston.

Its cars made 175 trips each way every day at fifteen-minute intervals until 11:30 pm. Wrought-iron rails assured a smooth ride along tree-lined Brattle Street past the Longfellow House. In 1863 another line brought visitors past Fresh Pond to Mount Auburn via Garden and Craigie streets. ... The low fare made frequent visits possible, unlike the cost of hiring a hack.

Neighborhoods: 
Cambridge
Topics: 
History
Free tagging: 
Mount Auburn Cemetery


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Comments

By anon on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 12:37pm.

CEDAR GROVE CEMETERY

In 1871 the Old Colony Railroad sought eminent domain to build a right of way through the Cemetery. After negotiation, the Railroad agreed to build a train station, now known as the Cedar Grove Station, in exchange for the land. This event caused the unique feature of a railroad bisecting our Cemetery, and has been noted in "Ripley's Believe It or Not" and "Fig's Believe It or Not" as the only cemetery in the United States with a trolley running through it.

http://www.cgcem.org/history/index.htm

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By Ron Newman on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 10:19pm.

though now with electric trolleys as the "Mattapan Line".

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By David Plantz on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 1:47pm.

This is cool glimpse in transportation before the days of steam or electric rail cars. I can imagine how smelly all those horses were with the droppings.

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By theszak on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 5:10pm.

Cambridge Cemetery is next door to Mount Auburn Cemetery
https://www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/cambridgecemetery

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By fietsdavid on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 6:08pm.

Unfortunately today the powers that be at the Cemetery find it's OK to drive your gas guzzling SUV or your Prius all around the cemetery but heaven forbid you run or bike through there. If you do so, the security guard will (try to) chase you down and tell you to stop moving by your own power (unless you walk). Modal discrimination!

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By anon_wd on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 7:34pm.

Is this sarcasm? There's no vehicles there trying to either cut through to somewhere else or visiting for pleasure- unlike your "good place for a bike ride/ jog" postulation- Not every place is designed to be your nature walk/ fitness trail

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By anon on Sun, 02/05/2017 - 4:25pm.

I see plenty of people riding there bikes to Mt. Auburn and then most of them park and lock them at the bike racks near the entrance. I do from time to time see people jogging and riding bikes through the cemetery which is prohibited because it is a cemetery where people are visitng and burying their deceased loved ones. It is a private cemetery and the people who run the cemetery ask you not to treat it like an athletic field out of respect for mourners: how do you not understand that? There are main roads through the cemetery where people are allowed to drive their cars, but many more which are closed to cars and are walking paths only. As a rural cemetery, people enjoy walking the paths while admiring fall leaves and looking at birds. This is considered passive activity which is permissible at most cemeteries. Cemeteries weren't built for you to jog in or ride your bikes through...sorry being respectful offends you. Have you checked out the Charles River? Plenty of paved paths on the Cambridge and Boston sides for you to race your bike on!

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