Did You Know Archives - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

New School of Music’s 50th anniversary of offering music for all kicks off with a party on Sunday

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge September 21, 2026

There are 50 free, public events planned over the next year, starting with a party to bring together current and former students, faculty and supporters from over 50 years.

DID YOU KNOW

Fear and fellowship: Cambridge’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge September 14, 2026

Cantabrigians from all walks of life were struggling the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, but soon began to seek ways of uniting their diverse, multicultural city.

DID YOU KNOW

Police raided the ironworks expecting ‘charred, grimy,’ degraded women, but this labor tale is more complicated

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge September 7, 2026

We mark Labor Day with the anniversary of an industrial raid that challenged notions of “suitable” work for women and the role of government in regulating working conditions.

DID YOU KNOW

For 50 years that home economics was treated as a science, Harvard Square hosted a center for housewives

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge August 31, 2026

The idea of “specialists” trained to view household challenges in the same way as larger economic, political and social problems was a hallmark of the 1920s.

DID YOU KNOW

‘Cambridge is a Tiny Cuba’: Harvard and the Cuban teachers’ expedition of 1900

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge August 24, 2026

Four ships landed on July 4, 1900, and more than 1,200 Cuban teachers came to Cambridge. One remarked that “Cambridge es Cuba chiquita” (“Cambridge is a tiny Cuba”).

DID YOU KNOW

For a summer staycation, Cantabrigians flocked to Mount Auburn Cemetery

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge August 17, 2026

Most Cantabrigians couldn't afford summer travel – except to their beautiful cemetery, where the public did not always agree on appropriate etiquette.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge once had 66 candy makers, and tours in August show how an industry formed and melted away

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge August 10, 2026

History Cambridge gives guided tours Wednesday and Sunday that highlight the rich and complex history of candy making in Cambridge.

DID YOU KNOW

The Magazine Beach bathhouse debate and the politics of public hygiene

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge August 3, 2026

Many Cantabrigians at the turn of the 20th century lacked bathing facilities at their homes, so a swimming beach and bathhouse were not just for leisure.

DID YOU KNOW

Fresh Pond was a Revolution refuge and smallpox hospital, Civil War soldiers’ barracks and World War I training ground

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge July 27, 2026

Fresh Pond has most often been seen as a place of natural beauty. Its role in three major wars is an important if largely overlooked part of its history.

DID YOU KNOW

Corcoran Park plans take into account floods and sinkholes from 10,000-year-old Great Marsh

by Jen Craft for History Cambridge July 20, 2026

The decision to build housing on such low-lying land has left the city with no choice but to remedy the situation, now on a second attempt.