104-136 BROAD ST.

With properties changing hands between family members, plots being being sold, bought, and rented, wharf proprietors laying claim to a street corner, and nearly the entire street being owned by the bank or the city by 1938, there is much to learn about along Broad Street over the years.  

An alcohol-aided altercation between members of Fire Engine Company 20 and an Irish funeral procession for right of way down Broad Street escalates to include 800 brawlers and nearly 10,000 witnesses and enthusiasts gather to watch and encourage.  Within a year, Mayor Samuel Eliot announces all Boston Fire Departments will have fully-paid, full-time workers and establishes a similar fully-paid, full-time police force to replace militias.   

These 2 historic wharves served as crucial ports in the international trading industry and were the major connection to the East Indies in New England.  After decades as major shipping hubs, both wharves experienced a steep decline in usage as shipping channels changed and both ports eventually ceased trading.  In the 1980s, entirely new buildings were constructed on the grounds of the former wharves which revitalized the district and helped make it as popular and enjoyable as it is today.

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