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in Places & People

Fascinating Historical Photos Of Boston At The Beginning Of 20th Century

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Boston is the most populous and capital of Massachusetts, founded in 1630 by English Puritans. Boston was the transportation hub for England with its network of railroads in the 1800s. By 1820 the population of Boston was about 43,000. The arrival of immigrants from Ireland during the Great Hunger and then from Italy, Germany, and Poland later in the century, fundamentally changed Boston’s human makeup and political leanings. By the 1840s, Boston had outgrown its physical size, and new land was added. The Great Boston Fire of 1872 destroyed 776 buildings across 65 acres of land, totaling $60 million in damage. In the late 19th century, Chinese immigrants came to Boston. In the early 20th century, Boston continued to thrive, but eventually entered a period of decline, as older factories were abandoned and people migrated away from the downtown. However, in the late 20th century, the economy boomed again and shifted to hi-tech industries and tourism.

Here below are some old photos of Boston capturing streets, cityscapes, and everyday life at the beginning of the 20th century. Vote your favorites, and don’t forget to share.

#1 Tremont Street looking south, Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1906

Tremont Street looking south, Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1906

8 Points

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#2 April 30, 1908. The Charles River in Boston, April 1908

April 30, 1908. The Charles River in Boston, April 1908

6 Points

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#3 Hotel Brunswick, Boston, 1906

Hotel Brunswick, Boston, 1906

5 Points

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#4 Bromfield Street in Boston circa 1908

Bromfield Street in Boston circa 1908

5 Points

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#5 Washington Street, Boston, 1906

Washington Street, Boston, 1906

5 Points

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#6 Chamber of Commerce, Boston, 1905

Chamber of Commerce, Boston, 1905

5 Points

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#7 Dudley Street Station, Boston, 1904

Dudley Street Station, Boston, 1904

5 Points

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#8 Old State House front from Court Street, Boston, 1906

Old State House front from Court Street, Boston, 1906

4 Points

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#9 Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, Massachusetts, 1905

Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, Massachusetts, 1905

4 Points

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#10 State House, Boston, 1904

State House, Boston, 1904

4 Points

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#11 Boston’s Tremont Street circa 1906

Boston's Tremont Street circa 1906

4 Points

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#12 North Station [Union Station], Boston, 1905

North Station [Union Station], Boston, 1905

4 Points

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#13 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 1904

Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 1904

4 Points

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#14 King’s Chapel, Boston, 1909

King's Chapel, Boston, 1909

4 Points

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#15 Old South Meeting House & Old South Building, Boston, 1905

Old South Meeting House & Old South Building, Boston, 1905

4 Points

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#16 Copley Square Hotel, Boston, 1909

Copley Square Hotel, Boston, 1909

4 Points

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#17 Descent into subway, Public Garden, Boston, 1904

Descent into subway, Public Garden, Boston, 1904

4 Points

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#18 Newspaper Row, Washington Street, Boston, 1906

Newspaper Row, Washington Street, Boston, 1906

4 Points

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#19 Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1904

Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1904

4 Points

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#20 Yard and tracks, South Terminal Station, Boston, 1904

Yard and tracks, South Terminal Station, Boston, 1904

4 Points

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#21 Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1903

Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1903

4 Points

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#22 Old State House from Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1906

Old State House from Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1906

3 Points

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#23 Boston Massacre Monument, 1904

Boston Massacre Monument, 1904

3 Points

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#24 Copley Square and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1906

Copley Square and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#25 Mechanics Hall, Huntington Avenue, 1906. It was demolished in 1959 to make way for Prudential Center

Mechanics Hall, Huntington Avenue, 1906. It was demolished in 1959 to make way for Prudential Center

3 Points

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#26 Looking east, Boston, showing Boston Harbor and, at lower left, historic Faneuil Hall, 1906

Looking east, Boston, showing Boston Harbor and, at lower left, historic Faneuil Hall, 1906

3 Points

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#27 Boston, Massachusetts, 1906. Back Bay from the State House dome.

Boston, Massachusetts, 1906. Back Bay from the State House dome.

3 Points

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#28 London honorables entering Trinity Church (Copley Square), Boston, 1903

London honorables entering Trinity Church (Copley Square), Boston, 1903

3 Points

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#29 South Station, Boston, 1905

South Station, Boston, 1905

3 Points

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#30 Courthouse, Pemberton Square, Boston, 1906

Courthouse, Pemberton Square, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#31 Washington Street north from Temple Place, 1906

Washington Street north from Temple Place, 1906

3 Points

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#32 Boston, Massachusetts, 1909

Boston, Massachusetts, 1909

3 Points

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#33 First Church of Christ, Scientist , Boston, 1907

First Church of Christ, Scientist , Boston, 1907

3 Points

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#34 Hotel Lenox, Boston, 1906

Hotel Lenox, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#35 Tremont Temple, Boston, 1900

Tremont Temple, Boston, 1900

3 Points

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#36 Court Street, Ames Building, Boston, 1906

Court Street, Ames Building, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#37 North Station, Boston, 1905

North Station, Boston, 1905

3 Points

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#38 Truant hanging around boats in the harbor during school hours, Boston, 1909

Truant hanging around boats in the harbor during school hours, Boston, 1909

3 Points

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#39 Washington Street, Boston, 1906

Washington Street, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#40 Tremont Street, Boston, 1906

Tremont Street, Boston, 1906

3 Points

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#41 Old Corner Bookstore, first brick building in Boston, 1900

Old Corner Bookstore, first brick building in Boston, 1900

3 Points

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#42 Fireboat, Engine No. 44, Boston, 1905

Fireboat, Engine No. 44, Boston, 1905

2 Points

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#43 Christ Church (Old North), , Boston, 1905

Christ Church (Old North), , Boston, 1905

2 Points

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#44 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rogers Building, Boston, 1901

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rogers Building, Boston, 1901

2 Points

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#45 Boston post office, Boston, 1900

Boston post office, Boston, 1900

2 Points

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#46 Tower bridges, Fort Point Channel, Boston, 1904

Tower bridges, Fort Point Channel, Boston, 1904

2 Points

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#47 Lafayette Mall, Masonic Temple and Hotel Touraine, Boston, 1906

Lafayette Mall, Masonic Temple and Hotel Touraine, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#48 Custom House, Boston, 1906

Custom House, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#49 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1905

State Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1905

1 Point

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#50 Boylston Street, Boston, 1906

Boylston Street, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#51 Battleship U.S.S. Kearsarge from astern, Boston, 1906

Battleship U.S.S. Kearsarge from astern, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#52 Summer Street in Boston, 1904

Summer Street in Boston, 1904

1 Point

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#53 Hotel Vendome, Dartmouth Street and Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 1900

Hotel Vendome, Dartmouth Street and Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 1900

1 Point

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#54 Steamer Priscilla, Fall River Line, Boston, 1901

Steamer Priscilla, Fall River Line, Boston, 1901

1 Point

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#55 London Ancients and Honorables leaving Rowe’s wharf on steamer Nantasket for harbor trip, Boston, 1904

London Ancients and Honorables leaving Rowe's wharf on steamer Nantasket for harbor trip, Boston, 1904

1 Point

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#56 Symphony Hall, Boston, 1903

Symphony Hall, Boston, 1903

1 Point

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#57 Mechanics’ Hall, Boston, 1903

Mechanics' Hall, Boston, 1903

1 Point

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#58 Ice harvesting on Horn Pond, Boston, 1906

Ice harvesting on Horn Pond, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#59 Boston, Massachusetts, from East Boston across Inner Harbor, 1906

Boston, Massachusetts, from East Boston across Inner Harbor, 1906

1 Point

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#60 Fishing schooner at ‘T’ wharf, Boston, 1903

Fishing schooner at 'T' wharf, Boston, 1903

1 Point

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#61 Unloading fish at ‘T’ wharf, Boston, 1903

Unloading fish at 'T' wharf, Boston, 1903

1 Point

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#62 School Street and Parker House, Boston, 1906

School Street and Parker House, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#63 Bathing at City Point, South Boston, 1906

Bathing at City Point, South Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#64 Fisher schooners at ‘T’ wharf, Boston, 1904

Fisher schooners at 'T' wharf, Boston, 1904

1 Point

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#65 West Boston Bridge, Boston, 1908

West Boston Bridge, Boston, 1908

1 Point

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#66 Boston Harbor from East Boston, 1906

Boston Harbor from East Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#67 Lincoln statue, Park Square, Boston, 1906

Lincoln statue, Park Square, Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#68 Bathing at City Point, South Boston, 1906

Bathing at City Point, South Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#69 Deer Island Light off Boston, 1906

Deer Island Light off Boston, 1906

1 Point

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#70 Boston Nationals (Braves) manager Fred Lake does it the hard way, April 21, 1910

Boston Nationals (Braves) manager Fred Lake does it the hard way, April 21, 1910

1 Point

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#71 Boy selling fish from a basket in Boston street market, October 1909

Boy selling fish from a basket in Boston street market, October 1909

1 Point

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#72 Boston Market, October 1909

Boston Market, October 1909

1 Point

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#73 Newsboy Club in Boston, October 1909

Newsboy Club in Boston, October 1909

1 Point

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#74 Sunday 5 a.m. Newsies starting out. Boston, Massachusetts, 1909

Sunday 5 a.m. Newsies starting out. Boston, Massachusetts, 1909

1 Point

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#75 Board of Trade, Broad Street, Boston, 1906

Board of Trade, Broad Street, Boston, 1906

0 Points

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#76 Boston Yacht Club — Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1906

Boston Yacht Club -- Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1906

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#77 Cadet armory, Boston, 1904

Cadet armory, Boston, 1904

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#78 Beacon Street at Bowdoin, Ward 6, Boston, Massachusetts, 1906

Beacon Street at Bowdoin, Ward 6, Boston, Massachusetts, 1906

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#79 Scollay Square Station, Boston, 1905

Scollay Square Station, Boston, 1905

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#80 Maverick Square and tunnel entrance, Boston, 1906

Maverick Square and tunnel entrance, Boston, 1906

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#81 Hotel Thorndike, Boylston, 1904

Hotel Thorndike, Boylston, 1904

0 Points

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#82 Chickering Hall, Tremont Street, Boston, 1906

Chickering Hall, Tremont Street, Boston, 1906

0 Points

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#83 Crawford House, Boston, 1910

Crawford House, Boston, 1910

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#84 Hotel Westminster, Boston, 1908

Hotel Westminster, Boston, 1908

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#85 Navy Yard docks and Charles River from Charlestown, Boston, 1906

Navy Yard docks and Charles River from Charlestown, Boston, 1906

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#86 Adams Square Station, Boston, 1905

Adams Square Station, Boston, 1905

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#87 Women at work in an unidentified laundry, possibly in Boston, 1905

Women at work in an unidentified laundry, possibly in Boston, 1905

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#88 Immigrant children learning to play on the roof garden of the Washington School in Boston, 1909

Immigrant children learning to play on the roof garden of the Washington School in Boston, 1909

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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12 Comments

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Zany Toast says:

September 21, 2023 at 22:21 Copy Link of a Comment

why is everything so bland and boring now

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- Laughalot Z says:
  
  September 21, 2023 at 22:23 Copy Link of a Comment
  
  It’s cost-effective
  
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Boomerang Uni says:

September 23, 2023 at 08:44 Copy Link of a Comment

Seeing the actual Back Bay is weird

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Charles Clark says:

September 23, 2023 at 08:44 Copy Link of a Comment

Custom House before the tower

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