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Watertown-built Car Climbs Mt. Washington

August 31, 1899
August 31, 1899

Watertown-built Car Climbs Mt. Washington

On this day in 1899, Newton inventor F.O. Stanley took his wife Flora for a drive — into the record books. Leaving home in a steam-powered Locomobile, built in the Stanley brothers' Watertown shop, the...

Nation's First Subway Opens in Boston

September 1, 1897
September 1, 1897

Nation's First Subway Opens in Boston

On this day in 1897, at 6 am, over 100 people crowded onto the first train to travel through a tunnel under downtown Boston. More than 100,000 people would take the three-and-a-half minute trip that...

Worcester Airport Opens

October 3, 1927
October 3, 1927

Worcester Airport Opens

On this day in 1927, two runways and two hangars opened for business at the new Worcester Airport. A week later, more than 30,000 people flocked to the official dedication. Stunt flyers, parachutists, and...

Congress Designates Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor

November 10, 1986
November 10, 1986

Congress Designates Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor

On this day in 1986, Congress designated the historic Blackstone River Valley a National Heritage Corridor. Running from Worcester to Providence, the Blackstone Valley lays claim to being the birthplace of the industrial revolution in...

Quincy's Granite Industry Begins

November 16, 1825
November 16, 1825

Quincy's Granite Industry Begins

On this day in 1825, a Boston newspaper carried a notice seeking 9,000 tons of "the best Quincy granite" for the Bunker Hill Monument. This marked the beginning of the granite industry in Quincy. For...

Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel

November 27, 1874
November 27, 1874

Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel

On this day in 1874, workers in the small western Massachusetts town of Florida finished the Hoosac Tunnel, bringing to completion one of the world's most ambitious engineering projects. The Hoosac Mountain Range had long...

First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal

December 1, 1826
December 1, 1826

First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal

On this day in 1826, the Barnet, the first steamboat to operate on the Connecticut River, passed through the South Hadley Canal on its way to Vermont. For centuries, despite waterfalls along the way, New...

Site for Cambridge Selected

December 28, 1630
December 28, 1630

Site for Cambridge Selected

On this day in 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony proprietors chose a site along the northern bank of the Charles River for their capital. They named it Newtowne, and laid out an orderly grid of...

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