Embedded Files
Along with looking at the removal and erasure of Cove Street embedded with the harsh relation of tenement housing, what truly brings this parcel of Cove Street alive are the dwellers within this vicinity. The residents create an image of what the culture of this street embedded and imbued. Not only is it a glimpse into the attitude of people within the late 19th century, but looking at these characters gives an idea for what the culture and way of life the city of Boston fostered.
HANNAH BURKE
1: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass, 1888.
On Cove Street, one particular piece of property was home to Hannah Burke, the mother of a large family. Hannah Burke resided on Cove Street with her family for many years until her late death. Through family heritage data bases, one can track down an interesting lineage of the rest of her family. Upon her death, her daughter, Clara Ritchie, married to Crosby Harvey, another resident of Boston. Hannah Burke also had a son, however, unlike his sister who stayed in Boston after her mother's death, the son moved to Dedham. The property of Hannah Burke and the living arrangements of her family after her death are able to symbolize the concept of many property owners being the heirs of original owners. Cove Street is a prime example of this, especially looking at the Burke property, as it was passed on from mother to daughter eventually.
HELEN AND ELIZA COLLAMORE
In a similar fashion, one can find intrigue in the story Helen Collamore and her sister Eliza, two residents that supported the culture of this parcel into one of giving and kindness. Helen Collamore and her sister grew up in Boston and took over the estate of their father's home on Cove Street when he retired as a merchant. The sisters were members of the prominent elitists of Boston, as their real estate value combined with their father's inheritance was of great value. These women were known for their charitable tendencies and giving back to different organizations of the city. The Collamores vast inheritance and great income allow a stark difference to the rest of the residents on Cove Street. While the sisters were both rich on one side of the street, one could move a few blocks down where other residents are struggling to pay their rent in tenement buildings. However, the Collamores do not sit on their money, but rather use it for the benefit of others and were considered a representation of the "good side" of Boston according to Census articles.
2: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass, 1888.
4: Census Place, 1870 United States Federal Census, 1870
3: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass, 1888.
5: Census Place, Connolly Heritage line, 1861
JOHN CONNOLY
In a similar way to the Collamore sisters, John Conolly was also able to provide his own servitude, however his method was through the military. As a young man, Conolly went to the army and after finishing his term, he moved from Belmont to Cove Street. His presence on the street highlights the parcels adept policy to include a variety of different people, such as retired military personnel. Conolly's experience on the street provides an insight onto the way many veterans were reintroduced into society and how these people adapted to their surroundings. John Conolly allowed an interesting perspective that could be considered vital to the life of Cove Street.
MOODY MERRILL
6: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass, 1888.
7: Census Place, Merrill genealogy, 1882.
Moody Merrill is another prime example of the contrasting attitudes within Cove Street. As President of the Highland Railway Company, Merrill was a resident of Cove Street for many years. Although he was a summer resident in Nantasket, Merrill was a navel Agent that worked in many different locations within Boston and ultimately summered in his Nantasket home with his coworkers. Merrill is a parallel of the railway company taking over Cove Street for the bridge, raising the question of effective transportation and how some residents could have potentially assisted in the addition of the bridge, instead of petitioning against it.
THE OVERALL ATTITUDE OF THE STREET
Whilst looking at these dwellers of the city, the stark contrast between the important inhabitants and those of the tenements can be analyzed. The tenement dwellers were lower income families, however, through interviews with the Globe and other news sources when forcibly removed from their homes, gave off a sense of hospitality and kindness. The biggest difference between all residents within Cove Street would be the socio economic standings these people face. When one end of the street homes two philanthropists dedicating money to a multitude charitable groups, the opposite side of the street faces poverty, and even further down homes a resident working for railway companies that could have helped the Railway Terminal Company that put the Cove Street Bridge in place. This contrast is a parallel of many other areas within Boston. Although the residents contrasted greatly in their lives, all were greatly impacted during their time on Cove Street especially those that resided during the erasure of the street due to implemented infrastructure. All parts face a discrepancy within the community, however, Cove Street is able to emphasize their differences and still have a prominent and strong sense of unity within this parcel.
References:
Cover Photo: Boston, Mass., "East Side of Cove Street, Boston, Mass." Photograph. 1897. Boston Athenaeum Digital Collections, https://cdm.bostonathenaeum.org/digital/collection/p16057coll41/id/9/
Figure 1, 2, 3, and 6: Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass. Philadelphia : G.W. Bromley & Co., 1888. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Figure 4: Year: 1870; Census Place: Boston Ward 6, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_643; Page: 15A
Figure 5: Ancestry.com. Record of the Massachusetts volunteers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data:Record of the Massachusetts volunteers, 1861-1865. Boston: The Adjutant-General under a resolve of the General Court, 1868-1870.
Figure 7: Ancestry.com. King's handbook of Boston Harbor [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: Sweetser, M. F.. King's handbook of Boston Harbor. Cambridge, Mass.: M. King, 1882.
Text Reference: Ancestry.com. Butlers and kinsfolk [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data:Butler, Elmer Ellsworth,. Butlers and kinsfolk : Butlers of New England and Nova Scotia and related families of other names, including Durkees, descendants of Lieut. William and Sarah (Cross) Butler of Ipswich, Mass., and of Eleazer 1st and Lydia (Durkee) Butler of Ashford, Conn. and Yarmouth, N.S.. Milford, N.H.: Printed by the Cabinet Press, 1988.
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