The 1848 Cambridge City Directory: Presenting a Picture of Cambridge 179 Years Ago

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“In presenting to the citizens of Cambridge the first number of the CAMBRIDGE DIRECTORY, the publisher believes that an object, long desired, has been attained.”       

This quote is from one John Ford, the Directory author and publisher (beginning in 1847) of The Cambridge Chronicle which was first published in 1846. This first city directory for Cambridge appeared on January 11, 1848 and outlined information for the previous year. John Ford published seven more directories, the last in 1857.

As a directory, the text’s primary purpose is to list the names of people and organizations that make up the city. However, the directory also published many facts about the Cambridge of 179 years ago.

A suburban scene at Porter’s Station in North Cambridge, ca. 1856–69. Image: Boston Athenæum. [Porter’s Station, Cambridge, Mass.], hand-colored
lithograph, n.d

Population of Cambridge in 1845: 12,490

Wards:

Ward 1, Old Cambridge
Ward 2, Cambridge Port
Ward 3, Lechmere Point and East Cambridge

1854 Map of Cambridge, Massachusetts by Henry Francis Walling

Officers of the City of Cambridge, with published salaries, 1847-1848:

Mayor, $600
Aldermen, 6
Common Councilmen, 19
City Clerk, $500 and Fees
Clerk Common Council, $100
City Messenger, 1, $200
City Treasurer, 1, $150
Assessors, 3, $500 each
Collector of Taxes, 1, $500
City Marshall, 1
Assistant City Marshall, 2
Constables, 9
Police Officer, 1
Overseers of the Poor, 6
Warden of Almshouse, 1, $400
Almshouse Physician, 1, $50
Ward Officers, 15
Board of Health, 2, Mayor and Aldermen
Watchmen, 7

Cordwood on a cart passing Cambridge Common, ca. 1850. Daguerreotype courtesy of Matthew R. Isenburg.

Other City Positions:

Surveyors of Lumber, 12
Fence Viewers, 3
Sealers of Leather, 4
Weighers of Hay, 5
Measurers of Wood and Bark, 5
Surveyors of Highways, 7
Field Drivers, 7
Sealers of Weights and Measures, 2
Pound Keeper, 1
Auctioneers, 6
Justices of the Peace and the Quorum, 5
Justices of the Peace, 30

Church Street looking east, ca. 1857–64. The town’s Cambridge 1 fire house (1834) is in the center. Image: Harvard University Archives, HUV 2010 (BP51).

Fire Department:

7 companies

Location of Reservoirs, “where Water may be obtained in case of fire”:

Ward 1, 19 locations
Ward 2, 31 locations
Ward 3, 7 locations

Schools:

Alphabet: 5 schools, 5 teachers
Primary: 7 schools, 8 teachers
Middle: 7 schools, 10 teachers
Grammar: 6 schools, 13 teachers
High School: 1 school “open to pupils from all parts of the City who are able to pass a satisfactory examination”

Original North School building at 2 Russell St, originally located at 10 Russell St. Built 1841-5 and demolished in 1975. The Greek Revival building served as a school house and as a meeting house for the North Cambridge Baptist Society from 1846-1852. Photographed by Richard Cheek, 1974.

Harvard University:

270 Undergraduate students
325 Graduate students

  • Law, 121
  • Theology, 23
  • Medical, 165
  • Special students in Chemistry, 6
Harvard Bicentennial Celebration on Sept 9, 1836, engraved by George Girdler Smith and published in The History of Harvard University by Josiah Quincy (1840).

Churches:

Congregational, 4
Baptist, 3
Episcopal, 2
Methodist, 2
Roman Catholic, 1
Universalist, 2
Unitarian, 4

Black and white historical photograph of a church with a bell tower surrounded by trees and houses in winter.
View of Christ Church at 0 Garden St as published in the 1862 Harvard College Class Album.

Post Offices: 

One in each ward, 3

Businesses:

The 1848 Directory lists 69 businesses in the city. What follows are the largest, revealing the types which were the most important to the city residents. They also reveal a look into the lives of its residents, i.e. the large number of blacksmiths shows the importance of horses in the lives of Cambridge residents.

    Blacksmiths, 17
    Boot and Shoe Makers, 19
    Cigar Makers, 8
    Dress Makers, 19
    Harness Makers, 8
    Livery Stables, 11
    Soap Manufactories, 16

Advertisement for Joel Robinson, black and white smith of East Cambridge, as it appeared in the 1848 directory.

Manufactories:

Car Manufactory, 1: Davenport & Bridges manufacturing railroad cars, 150 persons and 40 horses
(largest in the country)
Brush Manufactory, 2 companies
Cordage Manufactory, 1 person and 8 horses
New England Glass Company, 200 persons and 60 horses

Black and white illustration of a factory scene with multiple smoke stacks emitting smoke, boats on water in the foreground, and industrial buildings along the shoreline.
View of New England Glass Works from from the Miller’s River, 1851.

Today’s post was written by guest contributor Ted Hansen

Published by cambridgehistoricalcommission

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