Era: New Boston(~1950-1995)
Urban renewal, the taking, Government Center, Charles River Park, highways, bussing

Immigrant NeighborhoodModernNew BostonSocial & Religious InstitutionsWomen Portrait of three women in uniform; one sitting and the others to her left and right. The seated woman is holding a document on her lap and the others are holding tambourines. A caption reads, "LIEUT Aldridge; ADJT. Shirley, D.O.; Captain Baker, Lawrence Mass.

The Salvation Army Arrives in Boston

As the Salvation Army stormed into Boston to continue its evangelical and humanitarian mission, it chose a location in the West End for its headquarters in Massachusetts. From this initial foothold in the city, the Salvation Army and its leader Annie Shirley withstood the persecution of established churches and angry mobs, and expanded its operations throughout New England. The organization continues to pursue its mission today as one the country’s largest and most visible charities.

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Immigrant NeighborhoodModernNew BostonTransportation & IndustryWest Boston A grand arch adjoining two long buildings and a gothic structure. People, horses and street cars are shown in the foreground.

The Many Faces of North Station

For tens of thousands of daily commuters, North Station is a final destination to work and a starting point for home. For many others, it is a stop along the way to somewhere else. But few of today’s commuters know that over the past two centuries, there have actually been several train stations in the West End– built in grand style – that predated the North Station we know today.

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African AmericansArt & LiteratureNew BostonOtherReports & AnalysisSocial & Religious InstitutionsWomen Five women in white dresses and a man in a suit and wearing glasses

The Reddick Story: The Life of Ruthena Felton King Reddick and Ray Reddick

Raymond Reddick, a lifelong Boston resident who is now 74 years old, has spent decades collecting, documenting, and speaking to different audiences about his extensive African-American family history with deep ties to the historic West End. After his grandmother, Ruthena Felton King Reddick, passed away in 1985, Ray began his ongoing genealogical research, which started with stories from family members and countless boxes of family artifacts in his possession. Ray Reddick approached The West End Museum to collaborate on a project that highlights his nineteenth-century ancestors — West Enders and Black Bostonians — captivating lives. Northeastern University’s Reckonings project has collaborated with Reddick and The West End Museum to produce, after a series of oral history interviews, a two-part, co-created report that spotlights Ray Reddick’s family history.

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