Boston Curiosities: A History of Beantown Barons, Molasses Mayhem, Polemic Patriots and the Fluff in Between
By Ted Clarke
3/5
()
About this ebook
A collection of odd and obscure moments in Boston history, starring colonists and criminals, baseball players and barmaids, and many more.
Boston has been a favorite backdrop for novels, films, and television series, but some of the best stories about the city are true ones. Historian Ted Clarke explores these stories, both the familiar and the obscure, that have earned Boston such nicknames as “the epicenter of American crime fiction,” “the cradle of liberty,” and “the ice cream capital of the world.”
The fifteen-foot tidal wave of molasses that roared down Commercial Street in 1919 is one of the more famous legends. Lesser known, but equally stunning, is the case of Albert Tirrell, who in 1845 murdered his mistress in a Boston boardinghouse but was released after presenting the first successful sleepwalking defense in the United States. From the mysterious story of John Jacob Loud, who patented the first ballpoint pen, to the dubious early enterprises of merchant prince turned philanthropist Thomas Perkins, Boston Curiosities offers up a medley of memorable events that give Beantown its celebrated flavor
Ted Clarke
Ted Clarke is a historian who lives along the coast in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and serves as chair of the town's historical commission. He is the author of twenty-one books, most of them on the history of Boston and the surrounding area. He has also written and narrated five television programs on history, one of which won a statewide award. He holds three master's degrees and was a teacher for forty-five years.
Read more from Ted Clarke
Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and the Building of Boston's Golden Age Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Brookline, Allston-Brighton and the Renewal of Boston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSouth of Boston: Tales from the Coastal Communities of Massachusetts Bay Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scituate Chronicles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Boston Curiosities
Related ebooks
Boston Miscellany: An Essential History of the Hub Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistorical Cities-Boston, Massachusetts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston's Orange Line Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSomerville Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Charlestown Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Roxbury Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston's South End Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEast Boston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegendary Locals of East Boston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston's Blue Line Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston's Red Line: Bridging the Charles from Alewife to Braintree Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Boston Rode the El Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boston's North End Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pittsfield Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCambridge Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Look Up, Forth Worth! A Walking Tour of Fort Worth, Texas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnknown Chicago Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRochelle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hidden History of Boston Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cincinnati Curiosities: Healing Powers of the Wamsley Madstone, Nocturnal Exploits of Old Man Dead, Mazeppa’s Naked Ride & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSouth Boston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForest Hills Cemetery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston Police Department Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston's West End Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegends and Lore of the Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston in Motion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWicked St. Augustine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston - The Historic City Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
United States Travel For You
The Solace of Open Spaces: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Huckleberry Finn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dakota: A Spiritual Geography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Haunted Road Atlas: Sinister Stops, Dangerous Destinations, and True Crime Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/550 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Assassination Vacation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOne Man's Wilderness, 50th Anniversary Edition: An Alaskan Odyssey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fodor's Bucket List USA: From the Epic to the Eccentric, 500+ Ultimate Experiences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dark Side of Disney Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2023 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West: with the Best Scenic Road Trips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRockhounding & Prospecting: Upper Midwest: How to Find Gold, Copper, Agates, Thomsonite, and Other Favorites Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's Best Road Trips in the USA: 50 Epic Trips Across All 50 States Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Connecticut Witch Trials: The First Panic in the New World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Guide to Free Things To Do in Las Vegas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWalt Disney World Hacks: 350+ Park Secrets for Making the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Haunted Texas: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Lone Star State Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magical Power of the Saints: Evocation and Candle Rituals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2024 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreaky Florida: The Wonderhouse, The Devil's Tree, The Shaman of Philippe Park, and More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Boston Curiosities
7 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Boston Curiosities is a history nerd's heaven. If you're interested in little facts and interesting stories that normally fly under the radar of conventional history, this book is definitely for you. There are interesting stories concerning the many people, places, and things associated with Boston. Some of the best involve the story of the Fluffernutter (which, I will admit, was a favorite of mine as a kid), and the age old question, "Why do donuts have holes in them?"I do have to admit, though, that even as an historian myself, there were times when I felt the undeniable urge to skip through some of the stories. Clarke does say in his introduction that you should feel free to read the book straight through, or to bounce around as you like. I think the latter option is the best, just because you can get a little wary of the random quality of some of the stories. All of the information is interesting, but it might not be interesting to the same people. There's something for everyone, though, ranging from biography, to true crime, and food. I have to say, the food stories were some of my favorites!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5My first impression of the book from just looking over the front and back covers was "Hmm, I know I've seen this type of book before but I don't know where." Then a couple a days later I thought: "Elementary school. Scholastic school editions." You know, the ones where the teacher gave you an order form to choose books every so often and when they arrived, they were cursory synopses of historic famous peoples' lives (George Washington, Ben Franklin, etc) made for kids. This is what this book strongly reminds me of. Except there's some hanky-pank concerning the boudoir, although nothing explicit. The chapters are fast and succinct. The structure is mostly narrative. I think that if the book were to have more dialogue than it wouldn't be so bare bones and more interesting, flesh it out a bit. Also, I think arranging stories by subject matter can be a bit monotonous and would have preferred to have arranged chronologically, but I'm not going to hold that against the author. However, I do love how the author selects really odd stories to include in the book, such as the molasses spill and the human skin book cover. But again, I am disappointed that Clarke failed to include citations from where he gathered the information (and I'm quite sure that all of this info is *not* common knowledge) despite claims on the title verso page of the info contained with in the book being true to the best of HP's and author's knowledge. Clarke also did not provide a bibliography for those who are interested in pursing more about a topic. (I certainly would like to know more about the human skin cover book) I consider this more of an expanded guide book for those who going/want/are interested in going to Boston. Over all, I'll have to give this book a low rating because of failure to cite information (from an objective pov) and would have liked a bibliography for possible further research . Also, I wish it included some dialogue just to give it life instead of facts. (From a subjective pov)