The Junction: A Cambridge Neighborhood No More

Picture this: you are on Mass Ave headed for Arlington and Porter Square is in the rearview mirror. After about ¾ of a mile, you come to the intersection at Cedar Street and Cameron Ave. You have arrived! You are at the Junction.

As the name implies, this neighborhood originated on North Ave (now Mass Ave), centered around the junction of these streets and, critically, the railroad tracks of the Lexington & Arlington line. The Junction, extending approximately a half mile in any direction from this intersection, became important enough that the Cambridge Chronicle a devoted a weekly column to the neighborhood.

Lamps were put up in 1875 to illuminate the dangerous intersection. In 1880, the Chronicle reported “…It is proposed to erect a new depot on the Lexington Railroad near Cedar Street.” Thirteen years later, after the railroad was well established, the same paper reported:  “…Previous to the time this name [the Junction]  was given,  the locality was not of enough consequence to own a name of its own or require one to distinguish it as a district of the city.” (April 1, 1893).

The Junction

The North Cambridge Railroad Station at “The Junction”

Due to company buyouts and route changes over the years, several railroad companies are associated with the Junction. In 1846, it was the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad, renamed in 1867 to the Lexington and Arlington Railroad. In 1869, that railroad was purchsed by the Boston and Lowell Railroad. In 1887, it was purchased by the Boston and Maine Railroad, and in 1903 it was called the Arlington Branch of the Boston and Maine. The station itself was originally called the North Avenue Station. By 1894, it was called the Cambridge Station. In 1930, it was the North Cambridge Station.

In 1887, there were 22 trains leaving Boston for the North Cambridge Junction on the Boston & Lowell line. By 1893 there were 28 trains (each way) between Cambridge Junction to Boston on the Boston & Maine RR.  It was a complex interchange. In 1900 (Jan. 20) the Cambridge Chronicle reported:

“At the Junction there are four main tracks and seven sidings, making all in all eleven tracks. Now, for these tracks there are at twenty-seven switches, four movable frogs and six locks. These are worked by nineteen levers which are in the signal tower. There are twenty-nine facing point locks thrown by fourteen levers.” Got it?

When WWI broke out in 1917, station agent Joseph Pierce (J. P.) Quilty’s wife, Helen E. [O’Brien], a former operator for the Boston & Maine Co., opened a school of telegraphy at the Cambridge Junction. The school’s purpose was to train women to take over for men who were drafted for military service. There was a proviso: the student had to agree to work for the railroad after being trained.

Business North of the Junction

The area on the north side of the Junction was primarily concerned with commercial manufacturing. Businesses included the Clark Bros. Hay, Grain & Coal plant; the Climax Box Co.; J. Sewall & Co. lumber yard; Middlesex Wagon Manufactory; and various railroad buildings. The proximity to the railroad sidings made this an attractive location for hauling raw materials and shipping outgoing products.

The Clark Brothers

The Clark Bros. (Augustine W. & Charles N.) went into business at the Junction in 1886. They ran

 “a grain elevator and warehouse of commodious size with a capacity of 25,000 bushels of grain and for the storage of twenty cars of hay and straw. In the rear of this warehouse are located the coal pickets, wood sheds, and yard stable. Cars from the Boston and Main railroad unload directly into the coal pockets from a trestle.  The pockets have a capacity of 1,500 tons and, including the yard, there is a total capacity of 3,000 tons. …Over 500 cords of wood are carried in stock at all times…the plant is equipped with electric power and is excellently adapted to meet the requirements of the trade.” (Cambridge Chronicle May 6, 1911)

In 1915, the Clark Bros. suffered a catastrophic fire that “completely wrecked the plant.” A year and a half later they were back in business at the same address, 2464 Mass Ave.

R.S. Easter & Son

Robert Small Easter was born in 1835 on Prince Edward Island. He came to Cambridge with his parents around 1848. Easter studied blacksmithing, and by the age of 21 had started his own business at the Junction just behind the railroad depot. In addition to blacksmithing, his business expanded to include wagon making. We know he was at that location around 1860 because of the reference to Cameron Ave in the clip of the obituary below. Around 1897, due to ill health, he returned to Canada. Easter died in 1913. His obituary recalled:

Camp Cameron

Camp Cameron (at the corner of Cameron Ave and Mass Ave) was established in 1861 as a boot camp for soldiers in the Civil War.  Numbers fluctuated, but at times the camp housed than 2,000 men. The camp closed in January of 1863 and the soldiers transferred to the more secure Fort Independence on Castle Island in Boston. Today, the site is a small park and the entrance to the continuation of the Alewife Greenway.

M. T. Cavanagh & Son Groceries and Provisions

Born in Canada in 1832 to Irish parents, Michael T. Cavanaugh had arrived in Cambridge by at least 1865. He started off as a dry good peddler in Cambridge, and by 1876 had established his grocery store at 346 North Avenue, (later 2429 Mass Ave) where he did business for 40 years. Michael died at the age of 75 in 1906.

Brosnan’s Fish Market

Below is a tantalizing photo of J. J. Brosnan’s fish market, “Junc Cash Fish Market.” The business was noted as being located at the Junction in an 1897 newspaper article when it was bought by fish dealer F. D. Norton. John Joseph Brosnahan was baptized in Cambridge in 1871, son of Thomas and Honora Brosnahan. Anyone know any more?

The Climax Paper Box Co.

Who knew Cambridge had a reputation for building boxes? Between 1903 and 1911, nine different paper box companies were advertising in the Cambridge papers, including the Climax Paper Box Co. The company was established in 1907 on Cottage Park Ave. by G. M. Bond.  The products produced were primarily confectionary and decorative soap boxes. By 1913 the company had 160 employees, of whom only 30 were men. The company appears to have been a good employer: every June the plant closed while the employees took their two weeks’ vacation, and Bond regularly took all his employees on jaunts to places such as Canobie Lake or Nahant Beach. The Climax Co.’s ball team was part of the Industrial Baseball League, composed of other Cambridge manufacturing companies including Aston Valve, Boston Woven House, University Press, Gray & Davis, and the Boston Confectionary Co. In 1912, the Climax Box Co. output was 12 million boxes.

In 1921, Climax absorbed the Moore Paper Box Co. In 1931, the company merged with four other paper manufacturing companies, becoming part of the Consolidated Paper Box Co. Operations on Cottage Park Ave were closed and the building was sold in 1935. Today, the factory is the Emerson Lofts Apartment Building at 22 Cottage Park Ave.

Middlesex Wagon Factory and Repository

James A. Henderson (1825-1892) was one of nine children born to Robert Henderson, who, along with his brother John J. Henderson, founded the renowned Henderson Carriage Co. at 2443 Mass Ave in North Cambridge.  

In July 1894 a disastrous fire demolished James Henderson’s Middlesex Wagon Co. Arson was suspected. The premises consisted of a three-story main building, a blacksmith’s shop, another 3-story repository for wagons, and in the middle of all these businesses, the Henderson’s 14 room home. The family escaped unscathed.

After James’ death in 1892 his son Wilbert Henderson took over the business and built a new three-story wood frame building that included room for five stores and several apartments. It was called “Middlesex Block” in honor of his father’s company. The first occupants included Mrs. Armstrong’s dry good store, Thomas Marnell’s shoe store, a barber, a drug- store and Wing Hung Lee’s laundry.

Junction News Stand

Across Mass Ave from the Middlesex Block was the Junction News Stand, established by Alfred Belanger. Born in Canada, Belanger arrived in Cambridge in 1891. His advert noting “French Literature a Specialty” reminds us once again of the number of French Canadians living in North Cambridge. Belanger was a man of many trades, active in Democratic politics, subsequently known as a carpenter, roofer, and fire insurance agent. By 1908, Belander had sold the news stand to Josephine Larose. 

Businesses South of the Junction

South of the of the railroad tracks the businesses primarily consisted of small storefront businesses, including provision dealers, real estate agents, a drug store, florists, newspaper stands, dry goods stores, a bowling alley, and a pool hall. One of the buildings that housed these small businesses was the Lonergan Block, aka “The Flatiron Building.”

In 1907, real estate investor David E. Lonergan (1865-1923) bought a triangular piece of land at the intersection of Cedar St and North Avenue. By 1909 he had erected a two-story building with room for eight shops on the ground floor. Lonergan matched the shape of the building to the shape of the block, and henceforth it was popularly referred to as Cambridge’s own “Flat Iron Building.” (Later, there was another triangular building at the intersection of Mass Ave and Main St at 1 Lafayette Square, also called “the Flat Iron building”).  Some of the stores in Lonergan’s Flat Iron Building had addresses on Harvey St, others on Mass Ave. The storefronts filled up quickly:

A. J. Millican along with J. A. Carlisle opened The Standard Furniture Company in the Flat Iron Building—also in 1909. By 1915 it was renamed Millican Furniture Co.

And then there was Herman, The Shoeman, selling his “Educator” shoes:

“Educator” shoes were made by the Rice & Hutchins Co. of Boston. These shoes were marketed to let the child’s foot grow as it should.

Over time the Flat Iron Building businesses included Lynch’s Drug Store (subsequently removed to his own property at 2392-2406 Mass Ave—see below); tailor J. A. D’Orvilliers; a Chinese Laundry; Connor’s grocery; and Alfred Deloria, optician. John T. Keane’s bowling alley and pool room was in the back of the building with its entrance off Harvey St:

The Flat Iron Building suffered three fires within 7 years. The 1911 fire, the smallest and soon extinguished, started in a trash pile in the basement of Joseph Cincotta’s fruit store. The fire of 1915, probably started in the furniture store in the cellar or in the bowling alley, produced serious damage:

The 1918 fire was a true conflagration, destroying, among others, John D. Lynch’s drug store. David E. Lonergan died in 1923. Today what was Lonergan’s Flat Iron Building is the site of the Friendly Corner:

Bock Florist

Immediately behind the Flat Iron Building and existing before that building was erected was William Bock’s Florist on what would become Alberta Terrace in 1911. (The street was named after the Canadian province—another allusion to the predominance of French Canadians in North Cambridge.)

William A. Bock (c. 1944 Germany – 1902 Cambridge) came to this country in 1866. Following his employment with the famed Cambridge nursery Hovey & Co. near Inman Sq, Bock moved to North Cambridge in 1870, becoming manager of S. G. Reed’s greenhouse. By 1873 Bock had bought the premises and began expanding his own business. By 1887 Bock had 10,000 feet “under glass.” The greenhouse was heated by five hot water boilers that consumed about 100 tons of coal a year!

Bock also developed many new breeds of plants, often naming them after well-known historical figures such as the geraniums H. W. Longfellow and Gen. W. S. Hancock. One new breed of a Bouvardia was named “President Cleveland,” which he sent to the President in 1886. In return he received a handwritten note from the Cleveland administration thanking him for the honor.

After William A. Bock died in 1902, his wife Wilhemina Bock aimed to continue the business, but she died only two years later in 1904. By 1910 real estate developer Ervin R. Dix had bought the property and was beginning to erect apartments at the rear of the lot on Cedar Street before doing the same on the Mass Ave.

Lynch’s Drug Store

John D. Lynch (1882/83-1963) graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy at age 21, and by age 22 had his own pharmacy business. By the outbreak of WWI, he had established pharmacies on Mass Ave, in Inman Square, and Putnam Square as well as in Malden. All but the Mass Ave store were sold soon after he was drafted for National Guard Duty prior to the war. In addition to being a pharmacist Lynch held many political and business roles in Cambridge, including serving as Mayor of Cambridge from 1936-38 and 1946-47, sitting on the boards of several banks, and acting as president of the North Cambridge Board of Trade. Lynch was one of the first occupants of Lonergan’s “Flat Iron Building” in 1909. His store boasted “…one of the finest soda fountains in this part of the city and the delicious drinks dispensed make this section of the store a popular rendezvous.  For the convenience of patrons, the store has a long-distance telephone booth and is also a post-office sub-station…” (Cambridge Chronicle May 6, 1911)

John D. Lynch’s Drug store in the Flat Iron Building

Lynch’s business recovered from the fire of 1918 and remained at the Flat Iron Building until 1922, when he purchased the block just south at 2392-2406 Mass Ave, corner of Norris St. The new building became known as “Lynch’s Block.”

Lynch had a hall on the second floor which he rented out for business associations and club meetings, dances and private parties.

The Magazine A A Club (Magazine Athletic Association) opened on the ground level of the building in May 1933. They were a rowdy bunch, getting suspended liquor licenses several times due to drunkenness, permitting “gambling machines,” staying open after hours and other shenanigans – all while the owner, John D. Lynch, was Mayor. The club ultimately lost its liquor license and was closed in 1937.

Over the years other businesses in the Lynch block included several food markets, real estate companies, furniture stores, lunch counters, clothing stores, shoe stores, and J. P. Carbonneau the “Tonsorial Artist”:  

The Junction Traffic Mess

Traffic at the Junction was complicated as trains, horse wagons, trolleys, and pedestrians all tried to navigate the intersection. Poles for electric lights, trolley and telephone wires, traffic signals and junction crossing gates created a confusing landscape. Trains sometimes obstructed traffic on Mass Ave and collisions were not uncommon:

Wagon wheels got caught in the tracks, as happened to this milk wagon in 1910:

Crossing gates and warning bells were installed, but there were still near misses:

Urban Behavior Problems

Not only were there traffic problems at the Junction, but minor unlawful infractions occurred as well:

As Time Went By…

In 1894 when North Street was renamed Massachusetts Avenue, street numbers also changed. In 1927 several changes took place. This evolution was linked to efforts to improve long-haul trains scheduled from Boston, including rerouting trains through Porter Square. The number of passenger trains running through the Junction was greatly reduced until they finally didn’t stop at the Junction at all. Freight trains continued until 1987. The rails were eventually removed and replaced by the Alewife Greenway, a bicycle path running from the Alewife MBTA station across the old Junction to Davis Square in Somerville.

Multi-story apartments, condos, and business buildings took over the neighborhood and the old West End Street Railway barns became Trolley Sq.

Today’s post was written by Kathleen Fox

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SOURCES

Atlascope. https://www.atlascope.org/.

Cambridge Historical Commission research and subject files

Cambridge Public Library’s Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection

“The Lexington Branch: West Cambridge to Concord, MA.” Abandoned Rails. https://www.abandonedrails.com/lexington-and-arlington-railroad.

Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge, Volume 5: Northwest Cambridge by Cambridge Historical Commission (1977)