Frank Hart was a transplant to Boston who became a famous star in a sport that no longer really exists. Hart was a pedestrian, competing in grueling six-day races where the winner was the person who could run, walk, or even crawl the most miles by the time the clock ran out. He made his debut in the Bean Pot Tramp here in Boston, but he followed the money to races in New York, London, San Francisco, and beyond, becoming one of America’s first famous Black athletes. However, Frank Hart’s career declined along with the popularity of pedestrianism, while the rise of Jim Crow raised new hurdles for a Black competitor. Joining us this week to discuss the rise and fall of Frank Hart is Davy Crockett, the host of the Ultrarunning History podcast and author of the new biography Frank Hart: The First Black Ultrarunning Star.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/265/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

Buy the book on Amazon

Davy Crockett is a serious ultrarunner, having completed over 100 100 mile races. He’s also a race director, a serious student of ultrarunning history, the director of the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, and host of the Ultrarunning History podcast. Before starting his research into the history of ultrarunning, he also wrote four books about American westward expansion.

How did Boston come to host the first concert ever performed in what’s now the United States? Why was Boston resistant to the idea of a concert until almost 60 years after they became common in our ancestral city of London? When did Puritan Boston relax its rules and customs enough to allow public performances of secular music? Who brought the idea of charging for admission to a musical performance to colonial Boston, and what artistic legacy did he leave behind here? Listen now to find out!

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/264/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

Boston witnessed a grim Christmas in 1774, at the height of the British occupation. There had been redcoats in Boston for six years at that point, but after the Tea Party the previous December, the number of occupying troops skyrocketed, until there was nearly one British soldier for every adult male Bostonian. They were there to enforce the intolerable acts, and their presence only fanned the flames of rebellion in the colony. An increased Army presence in Boston always led to an increase in desertions, and December 1774 was no exception. On the 17th, while his unit was away on exercises, Private William Ferguson got really drunk, and then he either tried to desert and start a new life here in America, or he went to see about getting some laundry done. Either way, he was convicted, and Boston was shocked to bear witness to an execution by firing squad in the middle of Boston Common, bright and early on Christmas Eve.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/263/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

For Thanksgiving, we are revisiting three classic episodes of HUB History. First, learn how the carol “Over the River and Through the Wood” started out as a Thanksgiving song, and why the songwriter’s extreme beliefs almost cost her livelihood. Then, hear how 19th century Boston got the vast flocks of turkeys needed for a traditional Thanksgiving to market, and then to the dining room table. And finally, prepare to be surprised when you hear that college students, even Harvard students and even John Adams’ kids, have been known to drink and cause trouble, such as the 1787 Thanksgiving day riot.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/262/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

106 years ago this week, a terrible accident took place within sight of South Station. November 7, 1916 was election day in Boston, but it was an otherwise completely ordinary autumn afternoon for the passengers who packed themselves into streetcar number 393 of the Boston Elevated Railway for their evening commute through South Boston to South Station and Downtown Crossing. The everyday monotony of the trip home was shattered in an instant, when the streetcar crashed through the closed gates of the Summer Street bridge and plunged through the open drawbridge and into the dark and frigid water below. How many could be saved, and how many would have to perish for this evening to be remembered as Boston’s greatest moment of tragedy for a generation?

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/261/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

Boston’s Best Dog Walkers & Pet Services is a full service pet care company that offers walking, boarding, grooming, training, and much more! Since I’ve been working at home since March 2020, senior podcast producer Duke, my 13 year old pupper, has gotten very used to having me around most of the time. That makes it hard to get away when I DO have to go into the office, so having a reliable dog walking service is the key. Whether you’re a local looking to go out on the town or a visitor staying in Boston with your pet, Boston’s Best Dog Walkers has you covered. They’ll take your dog on an adventure that’s suited to canine tastes while you get out and explore Boston’s many historic sites. Visit BostonsBestDogWalkers.com to learn more, and enter promo code HUBhistory for special services and discounts for Hub History listeners!

Boston’s Best Dog Walkers have served the entirety of downtown & East Boston for the past 12 years and are highly rated by residents and tourists alike.

BostonsBestDogWalkers.com, your pet needs company too!