President’s Report to the Membership

February 2020 Thanks to everyone who participated in the Opening Conversation and Annual Meeting at the Cambridge Public Library on February 25. Our impressive speaker, YWCA Executive Director Eva Martin-Blythe, in conversation with Diana Lempel, the Society’s Doing History Curator, is a great example of what we do best—engage with our city to explore how…

Read More

Looking Back on 2019: What Have We Learned?

By Perri Meldon, Program Manager As program manager of the Cambridge Historical Society in 2019, I relished the opportunity to learn “How Does Cambridge Engage?” While I cannot revisit all the excellent events we held, I would like to share some lessons I’ve gleaned. The year kicked off with our Opening Conversation, where Dr. Karilyn…

Read More

Recap of 11/13/2019 Fall Conversation

On November 13, 2019, Cambridge Historical Society hosted Fall Conversation 2019: How Can We Make Change Here? at University Lutheran Church. Speakers Cheyenne Wyzzard-Jones and Dr. Charlotte Ryan joined moderator Mary McNeil to discuss activism and how they use education as a tool to engage others. This event concluded the Society’s 2019 programs centered on…

Read More

Reflecting on the 2019 History Tour

Guided Tour

Amelia Zurcher, 2019 Summer Programs Intern Approaching local history through the question “How Does Cambridge Engage?” has given me an interesting lens into the city’s years of activism and community-building. Throughout the summer of 2019, I spent many days strolling Cambridge’s streets, sifting through archives, and talking with local residents. When I first began research…

Read More

Recap of 10/22/2019 Oral History Round Table

On Tuesday, October 22, the Cambridge Historical Society Oral History project team hosted a roundtable event at the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House. Diana Lempel, the Doing History curator at Cambridge Historical Society, led the oral history narrators, interviewers Katie Burke and Lina Raciukaitis, and Loop Lab recording team through a reflection on the Sweet Souls…

Read More

Recap of 9/23/19 History Café 3: Engaging through the Arts

Many thanks to everyone who joined us at the Central Square Theater for our final History Café of 2019! We were delighted to hear from artists David Fichter, Eryn Johnson, and Vincent Siders on how the arts can serve as a catalyst for– or reaction to– change. Our thanks to Dr. Marty Blatt for moderating…

Read More

Self-Guided Tour: Central Square Activism From the 1960s to Now

By Amelia Zurcher, Society Intern, July 2019 This tour was made possible by the Cambridge Heritage Trust Tour Route Overview and History Central Square has been characterized for much of its history as a working-class neighborhood. In the 1960s, the demographics around Central Square began to change subtly. The growth of local universities led to…

Read More

Share Your Stories of Engagement!

Cambridge Historical Society logo

We need your help to unravel the questions that surround this year’s theme, “How Does Cambridge Engage?” How are you making a difference for the causes you believe in? How are you a part of history? Are historical events moving around you, or are they moving through you? Are you a part of the action?…

Read More