Peruse the summer issues of a Cambridge newspaper in the late 19th century and you would learn that the Peabodys were off to their cottage in Bar Harbor and the Longfellows were summering in Nahant. The local papers printed dozens of notices each summer detailing where Cantabrigians vacationed and when they would return.
One reason the papers gave for printing such items was to let callers know where to reach these vacationers should the need arise. The primary function was to let others know who was wealthy and/or connected enough to travel for their summer holiday. From Harvard professors sailing to Europe to do research or embark on a speaking tour to wealthy residents spending time at their seaside cottages to the more modest local escapes of clerks, schoolteachers and bus conductors, these notices were ubiquitous and would make any reader think everyone was leaving town in the summer.
The vast majority of Cantabrigians were not able to take a vacation at all, much less an extravagant one in the likes of Bar Harbor or the White Mountains. For most Cambridge residents, the summer was a season of labor like any other, and those who did get time off from their jobs could not afford to travel, especially if they were bringing their families with them.
That does not mean they lacked leisure time in the summer; for those staying in the city, there were several options for fresh air and recreation close to home. The most notable of these were the city’s shorelines at Fresh Pond and along the Charles River. Although at times there were restrictions on what activities were allowed (due to concerns for public safety and for sanitation), large numbers of people rowed boats, swam and picnicked in these areas, enjoying the shade and the cool breezes.
Another, perhaps surprising, location for summer visitors was Mount Auburn Cemetery. Dedicated in 1831 as America’s first garden cemetery, Mount Auburn was designed to be a place where art and nature intertwined, and for the living as well as the dead. Its founders, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, envisioned a new kind of burying ground – one removed from the cramped, dark quarters of the churchyard. Instead, these garden cemeteries would provide grieving families with a beautiful place in which to remember and mourn departed loved ones. Visitors would find comfort and inspiration from the environment, and their sorrow would be mitigated by the peaceful tranquility in which their friend or family member now resided.
But Mount Auburn was not only intended for mourners; the Mount Auburn Association, which oversaw the cemetery, welcomed visitors of all stripes. Some came as part of a larger visit to the Cambridge area from out of town or out of state, but many were locals who considered Mount Auburn part of their “recreational landscape,” a green space open and available to them for a Sunday afternoon’s leisure.
The cemetery’s accessibility by horse railway and, later, streetcar, made it ideal for couples and families to visit during their one day off per week, especially in the summer months. Visitors would stroll the grounds, view the flora and fauna that called the cemetery home, and would often enjoy a picnic. The varied landscape, with its rolling hills, mature trees and bodies of water, provided opportunities to watch for birds, identify plant species and learn about the prominent Cantabrigians of the past buried there.
The public did not always agree on appropriate cemetery etiquette, however. In 1856 letter to the Cambridge Chronicle, the writer cites the rule “prohibiting picnic parties from carrying in their refreshments, as well as all gatherings of similar character,” and states:
I was pained this week, in visiting [Mount Auburn] by the sight of a cake stand inside the gate, as it would, as a matter of course, speedily render obsolete any such rule as that referred to. It seemed to me totally out of place, and I cannot understand why it should be allowed. It certainly is not a proper place for eating, and there is no sort of necessity for the encouragement of such a taste; while the idea of meeting people eating in some of the secluded walks, or, perchance, sitting down upon the border of one’s lot for a repast, is too revolting to think about.
The next issue of the Chronicle featured a reply from another letter writer, who argues, “A nice little cake-stand, in my opinion, is just what is wanted; and if some worthy young lad can be allowed to earn a little money in this very innocent way, to assist his widowed mother in supporting his younger brothers and sisters, I say, bid him God speed. In my view, this little cake-stand is a preventive of the very evil of which he complains, as it obviates the necessity of carrying refreshments into the grounds.”
As trivial as this debate may seem, it is indicative of larger questions surrounding notions of propriety and the use of open space in the city. For those who may not have their own front or back yard, a picnic at Mount Auburn may have been their only chance to enjoy eating outside on the grass. The cemetery occupied a complicated position as private land that was, at least nominally, open to the public. The rules governing the use of this space – whether stated or implied – reflected class-based ideas of appropriate behavior, including eating and drinking, children playing and the presence of dogs in the cemetery. What one group of Cantabrigians felt was acceptable might be to another group offensive or disrespectful.
Mount Auburn was a large enough area, however, and its landscape varied enough to make enforcement of such rules difficult to impossible. Despite the protestations of the conservative upper class, working-class residents and their families created a space for themselves at Mount Auburn to enjoy their own version of a summer holiday – even if it only lasted for an afternoon.
History Cambridge started in 1905 as the Cambridge Historical Society. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with our city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that every person in our city knows something about Cambridge’s history, and their knowledge matters. We listen to our community and we live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2026, we are focusing on the history of West Cambridge. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.
History Cambridge is a nonprofit organization. Our activities rely on your financial support. If you value articles like this one, give today.
