October is Queer History Month and today we’re honoring the late Mary Leno, a long-time resident of Cambridge, who passed away on September 4, 2025.
Mary was born on November 11, 1940, in Ipswich, MA, where she lived throughout her high school years. Mary worked hard for social justice. She was active in advocating for the LGBTQ community, low- or no-income people, women, and housing justice. Her work for equal rights and dignity for the LGBTQ community earned her a special award from the Cambridge City Council at the city’s annual Pride Brunch. She was a lifelong lesbian. She was a strong advocate of housing for all, and initially moved to Cambridge because the city had rent control.
Mary worked for the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women for 20 years. She was the cornerstone of Cambridge Women in Cable, a collective that produced programming about women’s issues, perspectives, and experiences, at Cambridge Community Television from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. She starred in a skit called Ladies Against Women Against AIDS with her long-time partner, the late Betty Furdon, and another friend, dressed as conservative older women discussing the AIDS epidemic. She initiated the weekly BeLive series Women in the Arts, Women in Labor, and Women in Health.
Mary recently participated in the Lesbian Coffee Shop hosted by Lesbos, a lesbian-centered community organization. View an excerpt from that talk here:
She was active with and volunteered for the Cambridge Women’s Center, the Women’s School, Food for Free, and the Eviction Free Zone. Mary took great pleasure driving her friends and neighbors places through her self-named Senior Lesbian Urban Transport (S.L.U.T.).
Mary was a daily visitor to Graffiti Alley in Central Square with her step-dog Al and his successors Desi, Bella, and Rosie. One of her photos was chosen for the 2025 Cambridge resident parking sticker.
Graffiti Alley photographed by Mary Leno
She was a photographer and chronicler of social movements. For many decades she photographed graffiti, and later added protest signs and protest t-shirts. Her vast political button collection (the Mary M. Leno Button Collection) is archived at the Cambridge Public Library and Northeastern University.
A box of buttons documenting LGBTQ- and AIDS-related activism. Mary M. Leno button collection, Northeastern University Archives.
Mary would like to be remembered for having a good sense of humor and wrote her own obituary:
She was born and then she died. So long, it’s been good to know you.
All are invited to a Celebration of Mary’s rich life on Sunday, October 19th from 1-4 pm at Sonia at the Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge, 480 Massachusetts Avenue, entrance on Brookline Street. Donations may be made to Just A Start (justastart.org).
Ration book for Rose Shapiro Brown, college graduate, of Cambridge. Image: Cambridge Historical Commission.
80 years ago, on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito of Japan surrendered, though the official ceremony took place later that year on September 2. Thus marked the end of World War II. This anniversary brings to mind an aspect of daily life on the home front during the war that many today may not know much about: rationing and salvaging. How the needs of WWII permeated daily life has not been seen in subsequent wars and is nearly inconceivable today. As you read this piece, consider how profoundly altered your daily life would be if a similar system were put in place today. In the United States, rationing began in early 1942 and formally ended in 1947.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, joining the war created an immediate and substantial need for metals, electricity, gasoline, food, clothing, tires—virtually everything—to support war production. This led to the rationing system which was designed to ensure that enough essential materials were available for weapons and troop support. Secondarily, rationing aimed to equalize the distribution system for all commodities among citizens and control inflation.
The Office of Price Administration (OPA) was created to administer the rationing system. Subsequent Acts of Congress further regulated rents and wages, and regulated the cost of living.
“When you have used your ration, salvage the Tin Cans and Waste Fats.They are needed to make munitions for our fighting men. Cooperate with youLocal Salvage Committee.” Image: The National WWII Museum, New Orleans. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/
How did the system work?
It was very, very complicated. Administering the program required 8,000 Ration Boards in cities and towns across the country. Ration Books like those above included stamps which did not have a dollar value, but, in addition to dollars, they were required for every purchase. Each member of a family (including infants and children) was required to have a ration book in their name. A person registering for ration books for a whole family needed to present the names, height, weight, eye color, hair color, and sex of each family member and state their relationship to them (natural born, adopted, spouse, etc.).
The books were issued monthly: if the books were used up, the customer had to wait for the succeeding month’s book to get enough stamps to purchase the item. In addition, stamps were numbered to be used only for a specific period of time to prevent hoarding. When the time limit was reached, the stamp was voided. Information about where to get War Ration Books and how to use them was posted in the newspapers leading up to the distribution event. In Cambridge, the books were distributed at public schools.
Stamps had a variety of images: airplane, torch, tank, aircraft carrier, wheat, fruit, etc. as well as alphabetic lettering:
Images gathered from eBay and Yahoo Image Search
Point Rationing
In addition to ration stamps, the system of “Point” rationing was particularly complicated. The point value of a particular item was based on the current availability of the product. This meant that point values changed depending on the supply and demand. The Office of Price Administration published regular updates on changing values:
The Cambridge Sentinel January 23, 1943 (excerpt)
First National grocery store advert (excerpt) as published in The Cambridge Chronicle March 23, 1944
Eventually, the government also issued dime-sized tokens to enable vendors to make “change” for stamps. Red tokens were used as change for red stamps and blue tokens to make change for blue stamps.
The details in the articles below illustrate just how much there was to keep track of before you went to the grocery store!
The Cambridge Sentinel March 6, 1943
The Cambridge Sentinel April 24, 1943
“How to Shop With War Ration Book Two… to Buy Canned, Bottled and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables; Dried Fruits, Juices and all Canned Soups.” Office of Price Administration, February 1943. Collection of the National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 514549).
Got it? When making purchases, the correct stamp had to be torn out of your book in front the cashier. You could not redeem detached stamps. This was to discourage the black-market stamp trade.
“Stamp Out Black Markets With Your Ration Stamps” WWII Posters Collection, World War II Papers, Military Collections, State Archives of North Carolina.
The first item rationed by the OPA, on December 21, 1941, was rubber. The quota for Cambridge was set at 300,000 lbs.
The Cambridge Sentinel December 20, 1941
In addition to collecting the obvious objects like rubber tires, other items collected for this rubber drive included girdles, rubber shoes, bed pans, gloves, floor mats, and crutch tips. The Central Square Theatre put on a free show for children arriving with rubber scraps. They collected 2.5 tons!
The Cambridge Chronicle July 16, 1942
In the case of toothpaste (which came in metal tubes), before you could purchase a new tube you had to hand over the empty tube so that the metal could be recycled for the war effort. One advertisement stated that “thirty-two toothpaste tubes contain the tin needed for a fighter plane.”
A War Production Board poster encourages Americans to contribute items made with tin to be recycled for use in the war effort. Credit: War Department via defense.gov.
Rationing Food
“…one-fourth of all the food that is going to be produced here during 1943 will go to U. S. armed forces, outside of its boundaries to feed the peoples of the United Nations and those peoples in lands occupied by the Axis…”
TheCambridge Sentinel January 23, 1943
To address complaints of citizens about the privations of rationing system, and in particular, about the U.S. sending food to our allies, the Director of the Office of War Information (OFI) Elmer Davis, delivered a radio speech on December 27, 1942 explaining the reasoning behind this aspect of the system:
“This war can be won only by killing enough Germans to discourage the rest of them. Enough Japanese too, but we can leave them out of this discussion; since in the Pacific area we get food from our allies, instead of sending it to them. Now the Russians, so far, have killed more Germans than everybody else put together; and that is why it makes sense for us to send food to Russia…We send food to the Russian army, because every German who is killed by a Russian is a German whom we won’t have to kill; or, for that matter, a German who will never have a chance to kill American Soldiers.”
New York Times December 28, 1942
After rubber, the next item to be rationed was sugar. Alerts about sugar shortages went out about three months after Pearl Harbor.
“Consumers will have to certify the amount of sugar they have on hand when they register for war ration book No. 1…Each person was allowed to have two pounds of sugar prior to registration. For all sugar in excess of two pounds per person, stamps were torn out of the ration book, preventing further purchase of sugar until the hoards are used up….”
TheCambridge Sentinel March 7, 1942
Book of 5-Pound Home Canning Sugar Coupons, ca. 1943. Robinson and Via Family Papers, National Museum of American History.
The Cambridge Chronicle April 30, 1942
Automobiles, Gas, and Mileage
As well as rationing fuel, gas and mileage rationing was another way to manage the use of rubber and the consumption of gasoline. All car owners had to register their cars for the relevant sticker determined by their car usage. Some of these included:
A = Basic sticker for passenger cars. Allowed 3 to 4 US gallons of gas per week and max 150 miles/mo.
B = For those who could prove that their job required driving more than 150 miles per month. They also had to carry 3 or more passengers. 8 gallons of gas/week.
C = Supplemental sticker for those whose “professional” job required up to 470 miles/mo. (Doctors, dentists)
D = Motorcyclists essential to the war effort. Same ratio of miles as the “A” sticker. 2 gallons/wk.
R = Non-highway vehicles such as tractors.
T = Commercial trucking: 5 gal/wk.
X =Highest priority stickers for those with extraordinary mileage allowances. Some Congressmen also wrangled these. Unlimited gasoline.
Soon enough the joke was circulating that “OPA” stood for “Only A Puny A-Card.”
With the exception of shoes, (rationed beginning in 1943) clothing in general was not rationed. However, since textiles such as wool (for uniforms) and silk (for parachutes) were needed in the war effort, and because clothing factories switched from making civilian clothes to military uniforms, supply was limited. The War Production Board encouraged people to consider reusing, sewing, and mending clothes as their patriotic duty.
1943 Poster: Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make it Do! by Robert Gwathmey. Courtesy PosterGroup.com
1942 poster, Work Projects Administration for the City of New York. War Services.National Museum of American History.
In addition, in 1942, the War Production Board did put restrictions on clothing manufacturers via a policy referred to as the “L-85 Regulations,” limiting how much fabric manufacturers could use to produce civilian clothing. This meant that women’s skirts became shorter, used fewer buttons, and eliminated flaps on pockets and “balloon” blouse sleeves. Men’s suits also had no pocket flaps, narrow labels, and were only single breasted.
The Salvage Operation
Salvaging materials to meet the needs of war production was immense and equally as important as rationing. The clips below effectively illuminate the reasoning, communications, and the systems for salvage collection. Most compelling were those articles that outlined how many pounds or tons of an item were needed to produce specific war necessities. For instance, in the “Save Scrap” advert below we learn that 25 pounds of wastepaper can make eight shell containers. Posters were excellently designed—look at the view down the barrel of an artillery gun (below) calling for saving waste fats. The language and images used to encourage salvaging are so vivid they speak for themselves. And don’t miss the last item in this news report re: ladies hosiery!
The Cambridge Chronicle January 29, 1943 (excerpt)
The Cambridge Sentinel April 18, 1942
The Cambridge Sentinel October 10, 1942
The Cambridge Sentinel September 19, 1942
Scrap iron for war effort, WWII. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.
The Cambridge Sentinel September 5, 1942
The Cambridge Sentinel February 6, 1943
“One tablespoonful of kitchen grease fires five bullets.” “One pound of kitchen fats makes enough dynamite to blow up a bridge.” Poster: Save Waste Fats For Gunpowder, artist unknown. Courtesy PosterGroup.com
The Cambridge Sentinel October 28, 1944
War ad calling for waste fats collection. Image via Reddit.
Poster “Waste Paper Makes Containers for Blood Plasma” ca. 1941-45. National Archives and Records Administration.
The Cambridge Chronicle November 18, 1943 (excerpt)
Cambridge aiming to collect 555,000 pounds of wastepaper:
The Cambridge Sentinel November 27, 1943
Virtually all countries – Axis or Allied – had a rationing system during the war. In the United States, rationing was ended in stages as supply met demand, but goods remained in short supply after the war.
Rationed Items
Rationing Duration
Tires
January 1942 to December 1945
Cars
February 1942 to October 1945
Bicycles
July 1942 to September 1945
Gasoline
May 1942 to August 1945
Fuel Oil & Kerosene
October 1942 to August 1945
Solid Fuels
September 1943 to August 1945
Stoves
December 1942 to August 1945
Rubber Footwear
October 1942 to September 1945
Shoes
February 1943 to October 1945
Sugar
May 1942 to 1947
Coffee
November 1942 to July 1943
Processed Foods
March 1943 to August 1945
Meats, canned fish
March 1943 to November 1945
Cheese, canned milk, fats
March 1943 to November 1945
Typewriters
March 1942 to April 1944
Duration of commodities rationed in the United States during WWII. Courtesy Ames History Museum.
After the War
The complexities of transitioning from wartime production to peacetime production was anticipated as early as 1942, as seen in this in this excerpt from an article just as rationing was beginning:
The Cambridge Sentinel January 17, 1942
Manufacturers Do Their Part
Wartime needs produced a boom in manufacturing. Many American companies pivoted their manufacturing capabilities to support the war effort. One such company was Maidenform, a manufacturer of women’s bras, underwear, and shapewear. Maidenform began producing vests and parachutes for homing pigeons who accompanied paratroopers and often delivered critical messages. For more on this astonishing story, read “Pigeons in bras go to war” by Lindsay Keating: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/pigeons-bras-go-war.
After the war, retooling factories for peacetime production presented a different sort of challenge such as shifting from making tanks to making cars. Nonetheless, celebration prevailed:
The Cambridge Chronicle September 13, 1945
Today’s post was written by CHC volunteer Kathleen M. Fox
On August 4 the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission reviewed two development proposals for multi-family and affordable housing on Ellery Street.
60 Ellery Street
A project was approved at 60 Ellery St. to demolish a brick 1923 Colonial Revival structure and construct a 6-story 30-unit building.
60 Ellery Street proposal, KDI Architects
The applicant had been asked to consider design modifications in response to issues raised by the Commission and the public.
60 Ellery Street proposal, KDI Architects
The revisions include the relocation of a transformer below grade which resulted in the addition of another dwelling unit; the elimination of metal panels which were considered too commercial; and an additional 5-foot setback from the sidewalk adding more landscaping in front of the building. A two-story passageway was modified to be more in keeping with the general streetscape.
At 84-86 Ellery St., the Commission reviewed the proposed demolition of an 1877 brick Second Empire/Mansard style double house and the construction of a 6-story building.
84-86 Ellery St, photographed in July 2025
84-86 Ellery Street proposal, AndersonPorter Design
The Commission found the existing building to be historically significant for its architecture and its association with renowned architect and social activist Eleanor Raymond (1887-1989), one of the earliest practitioners of the International style for residential designs in the United States. Eleanor was born in the house and resided there until 1922.
Eleanor Raymond, Architect, and Dr. Maria Telkes (right) at the Dover Solar House in Dover, Massachusetts. Designed by Raymond, this was one of the world’s first solar-heated houses and was completed in 1948.
The applicant agreed to return to the Commission with a revised design.
William Bruce “Bill” King, of Cambridge, Needham, and Phillipston, MA, passed away on July 22, 2025, at age 93, after a brief illness. Beloved and respected by all who knew him, Bill charmed family, friends, and colleagues with bonhomie, long stories, good humor, curiosity, and keen intelligence. He was dedicated to his family, to the law firm where he spent his entire professional career, and to civic engagement in every community he joined.
Above, Bill King at Harvard’s Memorial Hall in 2000
Bill was appointed to the Cambridge Historical Commission in 1973 and served as chair from 1986 until he retired in 2017. By a conservative calculation, Bill attended almost 500 commission meetings and chaired about 350 of them. He was notable for his judicious temperament, calm demeanor, and willingness to be amused at the occasional absurdities of public life. He displayed a conspicuous tolerance of public discourse, with the result that applicants and members of the public generally went away feeling respected even if their views did not carry the day. Among many other accomplishments, Bill contributed to several legislative initiatives that expanded the role of historic preservation in Cambridge and, by example, throughout the Commonwealth.
We thank Bill for his decades of public service and friendship.
The City of Cambridge Historical Commission (CHC) is currently hiring for the Assistant Director position.
About the Department: The CHC was established in 1963 “to promote the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of … [significant] buildings and places.” As a regulatory agency, the Commission has jurisdiction over two historic and four neighborhood conservation districts comprising more than 3,000 buildings, as well as 48 landmarks and 43 individually restricted properties. It administers a citywide Demolition Delay Ordinance, which pertains to buildings over 50 years old and allows a 12-month delay to explore preservation alternatives. The Commission also works with community groups, public agencies, property owners, and the general public on matters relating to local history and historic preservation.
The Commission oversees an annual allocation of approximately $2 million in Community Preservation Act historic preservation funds, including a Preservation Grant program that supports affordable housing agencies, income-eligible homeowners, and nonprofit owners of significant buildings. The Commission also maintains an historic cemetery and collaborates with the Department of Public Works on maintenance of public monuments.
About the role: The Assistant Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission administers a staff of eight professionals (plus interns and volunteers) and coordinates a variety of day-to-day office functions, including payroll, bill paying, customer service, and managing schedules.
A core responsibility of the Assistant Director is the administration of the Commission’s $700,000 Preservation Grants Program, which supports affordable housing agencies and non-profits with approximately a dozen preservation-related grant projects annually.
The Assistant Director performs high level organization and administrative duties that require confidentiality, sound decision-making and problem-solving abilities, while supporting a positive and collaborative office culture. This position reports to the Executive Director of the CHC.
Gail Willett with a display at Savanna Books, date unknown. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
Today we’re featuring Savanna Books, a bookstore specializing in books about children of color, and the store’s founder, Gail Pettiford Willett. As a Black woman and parent disappointed and frustrated by the scarcity of multicultural books for children and young adults, Willett took it upon herself to make such titles available to the local community as well as her own family. She began this endeavor despite having a psychiatric nursing background and no formal business training. The venture began in the early 1980s as a mail order business run from her home in Cambridgeport.
Gail Willett and her husband Walter inside Savanna Books, date unknown. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
When Willett was ready to expand the business to a storefront, her husband built counters, shelves, and other furnishings to outfit the first brick and mortar location at 858 Mass Ave, which opened in 1989. Willett notes that at the time, this was only one of two bookstores in the United States focusing on children of color.
Gail Willett (center) celebrates the grand opening of Savanna Books with her husband (left) and son, ca. June 1989. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
Gail Willett outside the first location of Savanna Books at 858 Mass Ave in June 1990. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
That same year, a pamphlet outlining the store’s goals was distributed at Freedom House’s 2nd Annual Cultural Holiday Bazaar. It read, in part: We believe that children must have books that reflect their cultures, teach their heritages, and expand their horizons. As parents we have searched for books which provide a positive variety of images for our children. Over the years we have watched many of the best books about children of color go out of print. We decided, then, to become advocates for this literature.
“Savanna Books information” by Gail Pettiford Willett, 1989. Freedom House, Inc. records (M16), Northeastern University Library. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20329436.
Willett first started the business on her own. She later spoke with publishers who sent sales reps to offer assistance. She then began hiring help at the store, put together a board of friends, and hired a bookstore consultant. Willett started going in to schools for programming and then sponsoring contests to involve families and children.
Article featuring Savanna Books in The Cambridge Chronicle, 3 May 1990.
As part of her efforts, Willett participated in forums on cultural diversity, facilitated workshops and pop-up events at her store for parents and teachers. Willett very much enjoyed hosting author events at the store. Writer and illustrator Pat Cummings agreed to help celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Savanna Books in May 1990.
Gail Willet’s son (left) and two friends outside Savanna Books at 858 Mass Ave in September 1989. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
In 1993, when more space was needed for programming, the business was moved to larger quarters at 1132 Mass Ave in Harvard Square.
Gail Willett outside the second location of Savanna Books at 1132 Mass Ave, ca. 1993. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
Over the years, demand for books depicting diverse cultural backgrounds increased and other bookstores began carrying the titles that a local shopper could once find only at Savanna Books. Facing rising costs and competition, Willett closed her bookstore in January 1996. Following the closure, Willett pivoted back to her home mail-order business.
Gail Willett (right) with Savanna Books customers, date unknown. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
In 1999, Willett continued her path of bringing enrichment to children’s lives through literature and became a program coordinator at the Cambridge Public Library. Most recently, she and close friend Poppy Dade Milner have taken their passion for textiles to create Nguo Fabric Art where their pieces “celebrate and represent the beauty, confidence, creativity, and strength of African culture.”
Gail Willett (right) and Poppy Milner (left) stand with a Nguo Fabric Art display at the Cousen Rose Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard in June 2022. Image courtesy Nguo Art Instagram.
We thank Gail Willett for being a pioneer in bringing books of multicultural richness to the children of Cambridge and Boston for so many years.
Gail Willet’s son sporting a Savanna Books t-shirt, ca. 1990. Image courtesy Gail Willett.
Stop by and see us at 105 Brattle St TODAY as we participate in the Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site event: Headquarters of a Revolution: The 250th Anniversary of Washington’s Arrival in Cambridge. We’ll have a table focused on the myth of the Washington Elm, including a few Revolutionary-era artifacts on display! Full event details below.
Saturday, July 5, 2025, 10:00am-3:00pm Commemorate the 250th anniversary of General George Washington’s arrival in Cambridge to assume command of the Continental Army in 1775. Cambridge Headquarters was a testing ground for many of the ideals, institutions, and questions that still define our country. This event will reveal Cambridge Headquarters as a complex hub of revolutionary activity, where generals, enslaved people, paid laborers, poets, Indigenous diplomats, politicians, self-emancipated families, and soldiers shaped history. Event schedule and learn more.
This all-ages event invites visitors to experience Revolutionary-era history brought to life through:
Neighborhood and house tours Living history interpreters Short talks by historians Cambridge Open Archives Historical exhibits and family-friendly activities, including a Story Walk This event is made possible through the generous support of Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.
Join us tomorrow for an illustrated talk with Leslie Brunetta and Paula Paris and learn more about Cambridge’s Black Patriots and the Black Cantabrigians that lived and worked here in the years following the Revolutionary War.
Leslie Brunetta is a writer who has been a member of the Cambridge Black History Project since 2020. She stumbled into researching Cambridge Black history after discovering that Francis Prince Clary, activist and assistant to the first Harvard chemistry professor, had lived on her street in Mid Cambridge. She has published a number of profiles of historical Black figures in Cambridge Day and the Mount Auburn Cemetery website. She just published an essay at Commonplace about a well-known Black author’s formidable widow employed by William Dean Howells as a housekeeper on Sacramento St.
Paula Paris is a lifelong resident of West Cambridge. She is a member of First Church in Cambridge and is active in many community organizations including the Cambridge Historical Commission and the Cambridge Black History Project. She is Deputy Director of the educational non-profit JFY NetWorks, which prepares underserved youth for college and the workplace. Learn more about First Church’s racial justice work online here.
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will host a public event to honor Dr. Vera Rubin on June 26th, 2025. The event, titled “Historic Change: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Vera Rubin,” will discuss impact both within and beyond the scientific community, and unveil a new quarter from the United States Mint featuring Rubin.
The public program will include discussions from a distinguished group including CfA Director Lisa Kewley, Vera Rubin’s granddaughter, representatives from the Smithsonian, the designer of the new U.S. Mint coin, renowned astrophysicists, an astronaut, and others. This exciting event is free but requires tickets through the Harvard Box Office.
Following the panel discussion, there will be a free public festival (no tickets necessary) with booths from a variety of organizations, such as research institutions, historical groups, and community groups working within the fields of astronomy, women’s history, and STEM, among others.
We would like to call your attention to an article recently written by researcher and member of the Cambridge Black History Project, Leslie Brunetta. In her piece “A Subject of Unique Interest: Mary Freeman Heuston Lewis and William Dean Howells” Brunetta focuses on an obscure essay by Howells, a white writer later known as the Dean of American Letters. Brunetta writes:
Howells published “Mrs. Johnson” in The Atlantic in 1868. “Mrs. Johnson” was the pseudonym Howells gave to his family’s Black housekeeper, Mary Lewis (1816-1868), whom he called “a subject of unique interest.” But it seems neither Howells nor his wife fully understood just how uniquely interesting Mary Lewis was.”
The Howells house at 41 Sacramento Street in Cambridge. Copyright 2025 Peter Loftus.
Brunetta notes that W.D. Howells and his wife, Elinor Mead Howells (1837-1910), moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1866 as Howells took up his position as assistant editor at The Atlantic. “Mrs. Johnson,” also the first essay in Suburban Sketches, published in 1871, relates the history of the Howells’ hiring of Mary Lewis and their increasing familiarity with each other.”
William Dean Howells, “Mrs. Johnson,” The Atlantic (January, 1868), 97-106.
In this article, Brunetta explores the questions of: what was life like for someone in Mary Lewis’ situation, that is, a well-educated Black woman with close family ties, married to an entrepreneurial intellectual activist, mother of a large family, living in New England? How did she see the world?
