Blame it on the Cows? – Sep 16

Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 16
11:00 AM Blame it on the Cows?
The Origins of Some of Downtown Boston’s Most Iconic Streets and Alleys
with Historian Susan Wilson

It’s long been joked that the reason so many of downtown Boston’s streets and alleys wander hither and yon—and why few people can figure out north, south, east, or west—is that the town’s streets were laid out by wandering colonial cows. Through this lavishly illustrated PowerPoint lecture, audiences will learn to challenge that assumption as we explore the creation stories and naming protocols behind several of downtown’s oldest avenues. If you’ve ever wondered where the school is on School Street, why Long Wharf is so short, what thoroughfare was named for Boston’s three mountains, or which frog-serenaded street was renamed to honor the colonial doctor who administered controversial vaccines, wonder no more.

About Susan:

SUSAN WILSON is a highly respected photographer, writer, multimedia artist, and public historian who has exhibited her artwork in dozens of shows, and gained national recognition for her images of performing and literary artists. She has long held a special affection for world history and cultures. The recipient of a B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa), M.A., and A.B.D. (All But Dissertation) in history from Tufts University, Susan taught history at both the secondary school and college levels before moving into a career in journalism and photojournalism. Her work regularly appeared in the Boston Globe between 1978 and 1996. Since 1994 Susan has been writing and photographing books on Boston history, which include Boston Sites and Insights; The Literary Trail of Greater Boston; Garden of Memories: A Guide to Historic Forest Hills; Heaven, By Hotel Standards: The History of the Omni Parker House; and A Brief History
of Beacon Press and Women and Children First, the Trailblazing life of Susan Dimock, MD. She was a contributing author for Boston and the American Revolution and Symphony Hall: The First 100 Years. Susan is the official House Historian of The Omni Parker House and a Visiting Scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center.