Here’s an up to date history of Newton … if you lived in 1880.
My Upper Falls neighbor Jan Huffman came across this interesting old history of Newton, written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1880. He posted it on the Upper Falls Area Council Facebook page and I thought it worth sharing with the rest of the city.
Best Chapter: Click on Contents, scroll down to “Reminiscence of Men and Things” – page 801
Wow this is amazing, thank you so much for posting! I haven’t gotten through all of it but I like how it starts – comparing Newton favorably to Rome. (Also how cool to learn the source of the name of Cheesecake Brook)
Emily – you piqued my curiosity … so for everyone else – “Its name is due to the picnic lunch of some of the early inhabitants, who, while out on a hunting exhibition, becoming weary and faint, sat down at noon on its banks to eat their cheese and cake and slaked their thirst from its refreshing waters.”
So, but for the luck of that day’s lunch it might now be called Muttonbread Creek.
Talk about Newton history, if you missed seeing Joe Hunter’s award winning documentary on the Durant-Kenrick Homestead on NewTV, you may watch it online!
Great tip Janet. Here’s a link to that whole series of New TV’s local history documentaries including that one.
Jerry and Janet. Thanks for posting this and Janet, thanks for the heads up on Joe Hunter’s documentary. This is a fascinating book. Reads a lot like Ken Newcomb’s “Makers of the Mold”. Then as now, Newton seemed to place top priority on strong schools, libraries, commerce, village projects, beautification and
civic action. I’ve just skimmed the surface in reading this, but will return to look at it more carefully when I have a spare afternoon. I can see it is well worth the read.