BusinessImmigrant Neighborhood Photograph of a multi-story brick factory building with a facade covered in windows.

The West End’s “Bakery with a Thousand Windows”

The Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company (previously Austin Biscuit Company, and later Sunshine Biscuit) opened its “bakery with a thousand windows” in the West End in the early 1900s. The company’s location on Causeway Street was an ideal spot to do business in Boston. Workers at the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company formed a mutual aid association and formed close relationships through both work and play.

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City PlanningModernNeighborhood LifeNew BostonNew FieldsUrban RenewalWest Boston

The Secrets of Ridgeway Lane

Easily missed as one trundles down Cambridge Street or behind the golden dome of the Massachusetts State House, Ridgeway Lane in the historic West End is one of Boston’s longest and narrowest streets. Often mistaken for a simple alley, it has served ropewalk workers, residents, Suffolk University students, and the occasional criminal on the run for over 250 years. As one walks the length of this dark road, surrounded by brick on both sides and heavy paving stones below, it is hard to imagine much life here. Yet, hidden, urban pathways like Ridgeway Lane hold many stories worth telling.

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AbolitionAfrican AmericansImmigrant NeighborhoodNeighborhood LifeSchools & EducationSocial & Religious InstitutionsWest BostonWomen photograph of the title page of The Memoir of James Jackson by Susan Paul, published by James Loring of Boston in 1835

Susan Paul: Abolitionist, Educator and Author

Susan Paul (1809 -1841) worked as an abolitionist, educator, and author from the north slope of Beacon Hill in the West End. She fought against slavery in every aspect of her professional life through her education of African American students, the inspirational music performed by her choir, and her landmark work, The Memoir of James Jackson, the earliest known prose narrative and biography by an African American woman in the United States.

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BusinessImmigrant NeighborhoodModernNew BostonTransportation & IndustryWest BostonYankees & Brahmins Photograph of a ten story brick and glass building along a body of water and dock with a sign at the top that says "Converse"

Converse Businesses in the West End

In 2015 Converse Inc. moved its world headquarters to Lovejoy Wharf in the West End. Its 214,000 square foot facility was a major part of an effort to rejuvenate the former industrial area bordering the Charles River and the North End. This was, however, not the first time a business founded by members of the Converse family chose the West End as an advantageous place to set up business.

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Immigrant NeighborhoodModernNew BostonSocial & Religious InstitutionsWomen Portrait of three women in uniform; one sitting and the others to her left and right. The seated woman is holding a document on her lap and the others are holding tambourines. A caption reads, "LIEUT Aldridge; ADJT. Shirley, D.O.; Captain Baker, Lawrence Mass.

The Salvation Army Arrives in Boston

As the Salvation Army stormed into Boston to continue its evangelical and humanitarian mission, it chose a location in the West End for its headquarters in Massachusetts. From this initial foothold in the city, the Salvation Army and its leader Annie Shirley withstood the persecution of established churches and angry mobs, and expanded its operations throughout New England. The organization continues to pursue its mission today as one the country’s largest and most visible charities.

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