history Archives - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

The history of the future, predictions from the past, included a Cambridge with only 60,000 residents

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge June 29, 2026

A city of 60,000 people, “atomic factories,” women “of skirtly grace and draped modesty” and a much expanded MBTA were predicted at Cambridge anniversaries.

COMMUNITY

Try The Independent’s first locally themed crossword puzzle

June 27, 2026

Whether you’re looking across or down, everyone seems to have a puzzle these days – and so does The Independent, coming every other Saturday.

DID YOU KNOW

Cambridge’s long history with ‘the beautiful game’ of soccer highlights immigrant contributions to the city

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge June 22, 2026

In its earliest days in Cambridge, soccer was a way to offer Harvard students a sport they could play, but not enjoy overly much. How times have changed.

OPINION

Scots’ introduction to Bunker Hill Day, from Revolutionary War reenactors to SpongeBob

by Nicholas Marchuk June 21, 2026

Are we just war and cartoons? I hope the Scottish people visiting our little slice of purgatory know that Boston, and the United States, is more.

BICYCLING

Celebrating Kittie Knox, the Black cyclist who rode her way through the barriers of the 1800s

by Eric Cao June 19, 2026

Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. MassBike celebrated her Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.

DID YOU KNOW

Today’s Glacken Field results from a series of struggles and unexpected wins, and JFK plays a cameo

by Jen Craft for History Cambridge June 15, 2026

Before children could run and play on Glacken, the city had to create it from untamed marshes that were a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

DID YOU KNOW

Jerry’s Pit and North Cambridge’s industrial past are spotlighted in the week’s History Hang

by Beth Folsom of History Cambridge June 8, 2026

At the mid-1840s height of the industrial revolution, there were clay pits and brickyards all over the area. The most extensive brick plant was in North Cambridge.

NEWS