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Boston used to need to water down the streets

By adamg on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 10:35am
Street watering division hard at work in old Boston

This photo shows the Boston Street Watering Division hard at work. The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can figure out where and when. See it larger (the sign on the second floor of the left house reads "Table Board").

Neighborhoods: 
Boston
Topics: 
History


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Comments

By Ryan on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 12:42pm.

Not sure when this pic is from but, according to this annual report, the street watering season of 1896 was remarkable in many ways...

https://books.google.com/books?id=OQHgPYFHSisC&pg=PA449&lpg=PA449&dq=Bos...

By Gary C on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 4:12pm.

1) We need more money next year
2) Please increase our budget the following year
3) We don't have enough money to do the job
4) Our allotment is insufficient..

etc....

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 4:20pm.

5. Autonomous electric cars for street watering can do better

By baustin on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 5:28pm.

Except that they can't tell the difference between a thirsty shrubbery and those damn penny-farthing velocipedists!

By anon on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 12:43pm.

The grade of the street, style of the houses, and the houses behind being downhill indicates Mission Hill to me.

Parker St. around 1900? It has some of those quadruple and quintuple deckahs on it still.

By CZ on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 1:03pm.

Adams Street Dorchchester
Gigantic homes

By SteveE on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 2:44pm.

This is a picture of 3145-3147-3149 Washington St in JP near Egleston Sq. So sad that the one on the left actually looked very similar until it was vinyl sided a few years back (check previous street view years).

Google Streetview today: https://goo.gl/maps/xggTTPS4V4T2

By Stevil on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 2:49pm.

Had a post ready to go and got distracted by that damn work thing. Guessed Washington street based on the appearance of the homes and the size/grade (lack of) of the street.

Given horse drawn carriage, trolley tracks and electric poles - would say about 1900 +/- a couple years.

My main comment was that I noted that since this is pre-Walsh and Menino was mayor for like forevah before Walsh - wasn't it a fireable offense not to have his name on a city vehicle? :-)

By johnmcboston on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 3:16pm.

How much difference a little detailing can make - from Fab to Drab in one quick step

By SteveE on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 6:26pm.

The one on the right got vinyl siding in 2002, records show. The picture I found shows it mid-way through having it installed.

Luckily there are 3-4 more of these style triples in great condition at 188-198 Amory St.

By anon on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 9:50pm.

Sweet with the pitched roofs and the other details.

By johnmcboston on Tue, 09/20/2016 - 7:09am.

Google street view history shows the right one still had detail (but no extended porches) in 2013, so that's a new vinyl job...

The Armory street ones do look nice

http://bit.ly/2cjuKGf

By Cliff clavin on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 4:35pm.

Well now that's a GD shame.

By Arthur on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 3:16pm.

If we were using horse-drawn vehicles today, the politicians would brand their names on the poor animals.

By anon on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 3:50pm.

You don't think there wasn't massive amounts of advertising back then?

By Sally on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 7:35pm.

Underneath all of those signs is the Old State House. http://lostnewengland.com/2013/09/old-state-house-boston/

By Irma la Douce on Tue, 09/20/2016 - 2:59pm.

Photos from when the OSH was being used as commercial office space.

By EM Painter on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 4:46pm.

100 years of cheap remodeling and replacement windows

By anon on Mon, 09/19/2016 - 7:12pm.

My guess is on Wash somewhere between Rozzie Sq and WR Pkwy.

By Boston City Archives on Tue, 09/20/2016 - 8:55am.

Thanks for playing, folks! This photo shows the west side of Washington Street, about 100 feet north of Chauncy Place (not Chauncy Street). Chauncy Place ran opposite Boylston Street in the West Roxbury/Jamaica Plain area. The date is April 25, 1906