Did You Know Archives - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

Cambridge’s Day of the Dead celebrations have always blended old and new traditions

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge November 2, 2026

Cambridge’s first public Day of the Dead celebrations were in 1989 and 1990 in East Cambridge, where an altar was dominated by a tribute to the late Elvis Presley.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge wanted to speak with the dead, summon the Harvard spiritualism-versus-science investigation of 1857

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge October 27, 2026

Cambridge. and Cambridgeport in particular, was a stronghold of activity for people claiming to be able to speak with the dead. Even Harvard students got in on the action.

DID YOU KNOW

How NASA nearly took over Kendall Square, pushing out manufacturers before plans fell apart

by Kaliyah Macaraig October 19, 2026

Twenty-nine acres within Kendall Square was committed in 1964 for a $60 million space center. After five years of demolition and displacement, the plan was canceled.

DID YOU KNOW

A century ago, the Cambridge Museum for Children brought the world to young Cantabrigians

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge October 12, 2026

From 1920 to the 1950s, Cambridge's children's museum drew on Harvard collections and solicited donations from community members to enhance its holdings.

DID YOU KNOW

Was there really a Viking settlement on the Charles that predated Columbus?

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge October 5, 2026

The possibility of a Viking presence echoed broader ideas about racial “purity” and European Anglo-Saxonism that led to the Second World War.

DID YOU KNOW

Architects in 1907 planned to unite Cambridge and Boston governments on an artificial island in the Charles

by Kaliyah Macaraig September 29, 2026

St. Botolph’s Island was imagined as transforming the Charles River into the civic center of a shared metropolis and a major Boston-Cambridge-Somerville boulevard.

DID YOU KNOW

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.