Dorchester’s recorded history began with the arrival of English settlers on the ship Mary & John in 1630, originally inhabited by the Massachusett tribe. One of the largest towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, it included areas like South Boston and Hyde Park and remained a rural farming community until its annexation to Boston in 1870. Dorchester grew significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries, spurred by water-powered industry along the Neponset River, with its population surging from 2,347 in 1800 to 125,000 by 1917. In the 1900s, diverse immigrant contributions and residential expansion, including architecturally designed homes and iconic triple-decker houses, continued to shape the area. Despite mid-20th-century urban renewal challenges, the community thrived, with notable women contributing to literature, medicine, music, education, social work, and sports. Today, Dorchester is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood home to over 125,000.
The Back Bay, originally a mudflat, was filled in with gravel brought from suburban Needham by train between 1852 and 1890. The land is flat, with streets laid out in a straight grid. The cross streets are conveniently named alphabetically from A to H. This elegant neighborhood includes Commonwealth Avenue with its tree-lined mall of grass, center walking path, and sculptures, as well as the “uptown” shopping area with high-end stores, art galleries, and restaurants.
The Back Bay East Tour starts and ends at the Public Garden. The sites highlight the work of women in the arts and in education, and women who led the way in environmental protection, suffrage, and peace.
The Back Bay West Tour starts at Copley Square and ends at the Boston Women’s Memorial. Focusing on women of the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the sites demonstrate the high energy devoted by women to the arts and education, pointing out educational institutions, clubs, and art associations as well as women’s sculptures.
