Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 30

Antiquarian Society, founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, opened a library on Summer Street in 1820, which grew in importance and became a treasure house for scholars not only in Worcester but in all parts of America. The Natural History Society, an outgrowth and combination of the Worcester Lyceum (1829) and the Young Men's Library Association (1852) was organized in 1854, and was later closely allied with the work of the Institute. The Worcester Free Public Library was formed in 1859 from gifts of the libraries of the two associations that formed the Natural History Society, and was augmented by a reference department, donated in the same year by Dr. John Green. The Worcester Music Hall, later Worcester Theatre, was not opened until 1869, but the Worcester Music Festival had been an annual event since 1858.

In other respects also Worcester was an ideal center for an educational institution. It was served by no less than seven railroads: the Boston & Worcester R. R., and the Western R. R. -which were consolidated two years later into the Boston & Albany - the Norwich and Worcester; Fitchburg and Worcester; and the Providence and Worcester - later to become units of the New Haven; the Worcester and Nashua, and the Boston, Barre & Gardner - which eventually were included in the Boston & Maine system. The terminals of these lines were in the heart of the city on Foster Street and Green Street. The union station at Washington Square, one of the most beautiful examples of early railway architecture, was built in 1875.

Worcester also had one of the earliest horse railroads, opened in 1863, with tracks in Lincoln and Main Streets, Front and Grafton Streets, and in Pleasant Street to West Street. It failed a few years later and the Pleasant Street tracks were removed, but it was reorganized in 1869, with a sevencent fare and five cents for a transfer. Horse cars were in use in the city thereafter until the advent of electric traction in 1873.

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999