HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

What’s In a (Nick)Name

Listen Later

For this week’s show, I spent some time asking visitors and locals what nicknames they know for Boston. From the Hub to Titletown to Beantown and beyond, people know a lot of nicknames for Boston, but it turns out that most of us don’t know the meanings behind the monikers. In this episode, I dig into the stories behind five nicknames you might have wondered about.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/304/

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

What’s In a (Nick)Name
The Hub of the Solar System
  • “The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table,” by Oliver Wendell Holmes
  • “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu: Ted Williams’s last game at Fenway Park,” by John Updike
  • The Hub of the Universe marker at Filenes/Primark

    • Found in Reykjavik years back…

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Jacob Sconyers (@jacobsconyers)

    The Athens of America
    • “Why Was Boston the Athens of America?” by Robert J. Allison, PhD via Old North
    • “What city was once known as ‘The Athens of America’?” via WHYY in Philadelphia
      • The Cradle of Liberty
      • Faneuil Hall, “The Cradle of Liberty” via Boston NHP
      • “Some Elements of the American Character” Independence Day Oration by John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Candidate for Congress From the 11th Congressional District, July 4, 1946
      • Speech of Senator John F. Kennedy, Boston, MA, Faneuil Hall
        • November 07, 1960
        The City Upon a Hill
        • Address of President-Elect John F. Kennedy Delivered to a Joint Convention of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The State House, Boston, January 9, 1961. Also known as the “City Upon a Hill” speech
        • Election Eve Address ‘A Vision for America’ by Ronald Reagan November 3, 1980
        • Farewell Address to the Nation, by Ronald Reagan January 11, 1989
        • University of Massachusetts at Boston Commencement Address, by Barack Obama June 2, 2006
          • Beantown
          • The Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New England, by Meg Muckenhoupt
          • America’s Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking, by Keith Stavely & Kathleen Fitzgerald
          • “Boston Baked Beans: A Case Study in Culinary Tradition,” by Alexandra Powell via The Paul Revere House
          • The story behind Boston baked beans candy, via Serious Eats
          • “Why the Name ‘Beantown’ Has to Go,” by Mike Ross via Boston Magazine
          • “MILES OF BONFIRES FOR HOMECOMERS; Boston and Providence Old Home Week Opens with Big Illumination,” New York Times, July 28, 1907
          • “How Bostonians Became the Beaneaters,” by Mark Souder via SABR
          • Ostrander, Gilman M. “The Colonial Molasses Trade.” Agricultural History, vol. 30, no. 2, 1956
          • “FARE OF THE COUNTRY; IN SEARCH OF REAL BOSTON BAKED BEANS,” New York Times, February 5, 1984
          • The Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Fannie Farmer 1896
          • The American Frugal Housewife, Lydia Mariah Child 1832
          • “Old-Home Week Booming,” Boston Globe, March 31, 1907
          • A postcard promoting Boston’s 1907 Old Home Week, featuring a bean pot and athenian references
          • “You don’t know beans until you come to Boston,” a 1911 souvenir postcard
          • BU uses a giant beanpot to promote a football game against Syracuse in 1952
          • A ca 1890 souvenir silver spoon with Boston landmarks and a bean pot
          • “You don’t know beans until you come to Boston, Mass” a souvenir postcard ca 1940s
            • 1907
            1911

            The Boston bean pot welded to the bumper of this oil truck is a cute local touch. pic.twitter.com/axb47RzBMr

            — Jake @ HUB History (@[email protected]) (@HUBhistory) November 6, 2016

            ...more
            View all episodesView all episodes
            Download on the App Store
            HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston HistoryBy HUB History
            • 4.7
            • 4.7
            • 4.7
            • 4.7
            • 4.7

            4.7

            154 ratings

            More shows like HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

            View all
            This American Life by This American Life

            This American Life

            90,587 Listeners

            The Bowery Boys: New York City History by Tom Meyers, Greg Young

            The Bowery Boys: New York City History

            3,688 Listeners

            Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

            Stuff You Should Know

            77,462 Listeners

            Stuff You Missed in History Class by iHeartPodcasts

            Stuff You Missed in History Class

            23,702 Listeners

            Ben Franklin's World by Liz Covart

            Ben Franklin's World

            1,556 Listeners

            Outside/In by NHPR

            Outside/In

            1,446 Listeners

            History Unplugged Podcast by History Unplugged

            History Unplugged Podcast

            3,976 Listeners

            History That Doesn't Suck by Prof. Greg Jackson

            History That Doesn't Suck

            5,654 Listeners

            American History Tellers by Wondery

            American History Tellers

            18,977 Listeners

            Noble Blood by iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

            Noble Blood

            13,546 Listeners

            Unexplainable by Vox

            Unexplainable

            2,170 Listeners

            For the Ages: A History Podcast by The New York Historical

            For the Ages: A History Podcast

            367 Listeners

            History Daily by Airship | Noiser | Wondery

            History Daily

            2,024 Listeners

            The Gilded Gentleman by Carl Raymond

            The Gilded Gentleman

            731 Listeners

            American History Hit by History Hit

            American History Hit

            1,367 Listeners