Lost New England

Boston Molasses Disaster (1)

November 25, 2016July 20, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The view looking northwest on Commercial Street in Boston’s North End in 1919, in the aftermath of the Boston Molasses Disaster. Image courtesy of Boston Public Library.

The same scene in 2014:

It almost seems comical to think of a massive flood of molasses, but the Boston Molasses Disaster was actually a serious tragedy that killed 21 people and injuring about 150 others. On January 15, 1919, a 50-foot tall tank of molasses burst along the waterfront in the North End, flooding the neighborhood with 2.3 million gallons of the thick, sticky substance.

The tank was located on the left-hand side of Commercial Street, just to the right of the photo, and along with killing or injuring a number of people, it also caused substantial property damage, sweeping buildings off their foundations as causing heavy damage to the Commercial Street elevated railway, as seen in the photo above. Today, the elevated tracks are long gone, and most of what was once an industrial area on the right-hand side along the waterfront is now a public park.

Paper Mills, Holyoke Mass

November 25, 2016July 16, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A view of some of the paper mills in Holyoke, Mass, around 1900-1906. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The same view in 2014:

It’s a common scene in New England – a once prosperous mill town that fell on hard times once the manufacturing jobs left. Holyoke Massachusetts is a prime example of this; it is located along the Hadley Falls on the Connecticut River, which made it an ideal location for water-powered mills. In 1849, a system of power canals was built parallel to the river, and this section of Holyoke was developed as an industrial center. The city became home to a number of paper mills, giving rise to its nickname as the “Paper City.” One such paper company, the American Pad & Paper Company, was founded in Holyoke in 1888, and is now one of the world’s largest paper manufacturers, Ampad.

This particular view looks down one of the canals from Gatehouse Road, with several mill buildings visible to the left and center of the photo. The building in the distance in left-center is identified in the first photo as the Valley Paper Company, and although I don’t know what became of the company, their building still exists today, along with many other, now-vacant brick factories in the city.

The Northfield Hotel, Northfield Mass

November 25, 2016July 16, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The Northfield Hotel around 1904. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The site in 2014:

Northfield Massachusetts was never a particularly prominent town for much of its history, but this changed after one of its residents, D.L. Moody, gained worldwide fame as a Christian evangelist. In addition to work that he did in Chicago and overseas in England, Moody also had an impact on his hometown, opening the Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies in 1879. This brought an increase in demand for services such as hotels, including The Northfield, which opened in 1887, just a short distance away from the Northfield Seminary.

Facing dwingling guests, the hotel closed in the 1970s and was demolished, although its well-landscaped grounds became home of the Northfield Golf Club. A few reminders of the old hotel still exist, including the pond in the foreground, the stone wall, and the footbridge across the stream.

D.L. Moody Residence, Northfield Mass

November 25, 2016July 16, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The former residence of D.L. Moody, on the grounds of Northfield Seminary around 1904. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The house in 2014:

D.L. Moody was an influential Christian evangelist throughout much of the late 19th century. He was born in Northfield, Massachusetts in 1837, in a house just up the hill behind this building. He later lived in Boston and Chicago, in addition to traveling around the country and to Europe as part of his evangelistic tours. He returned to Northfield in 1875, and in 1879 he opened the Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies, which later became the Northfield campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School. This house, which he lived in after his return to Northfield, is part of the campus, which has been vacant since 2006, when the school consolidated to just the Mount Hermon campus in nearby Gill.

Dickinson Memorial Library, Northfield Mass

November 25, 2016July 16, 2014 by Derek Strahan

Northfield’s Dickinson Memorial Library, around 1900-1906. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The library in 2014:

Northfield’s public library is the Dickinson Memorial Library, named after 19th century shoe manufacturer Elijah Dickinson, who had donated $20,000 to construct the granite building. It was dedicated in 1898, with noted evangelist and Northfield resident D.L. Moody among the speakers at the event. Today, the building looks much the same as it did in the first picture, which was taken only a few years after its dedication.

Pell Street, Chinatown, New York City

November 25, 2016July 15, 2014 by Derek Strahan

Looking down Pell Street in Chinatown, around 1900-1910. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The same scene in 2014:

Taken from the intersection of Doyers Street, this scene on Pell Street in New York’s Chinatown, this scene is taken from almost the same spot as the photos in this post, just turned about 90 degrees to the right. Several of the buildings are the same, including the ones on either side of the photo, and Pell Street remains at the center of Chinatown.