Veterans’ Day Trip to Boston

On Veterans’ Day Maura had the day off from school and Jennifer took a day off from work so we made a trip into Boston for the day. Our destination in the city was the West End Museum a small museum dedicated to documenting the old West End neighborhood of Boston and preserving its heritage. I had wanted to go for several months, ever since I had noticed the sign for it on a previous trip into the city. I thought it would be good for Maura to learn about the West End. We haven’t been able to determine for certain but it’s quite possible some of her ancestors might have lived there before moving to less central parts of Boston.

The West End Museum is small but fascinating. It gives a glance into memories lovingly preserved of a place where people were happy to live. It was once a multi-ethnic immigrant neighborhood where people from many places got their start in America. The museum also holds up an example of bad government—the urban renewal projects of the 1950s that destroyed the neighborhood and displaced its residents. The result might have been higher property values but not a more vibrant city. At least lessons have been learned. Redevelopment in Boston no longer includes the demolition of entire neighborhoods.

Our trip to the museum was enhanced by our host, an older gentleman who lived in the West End in its last days and shared his memories of it with us. He gave us a personal guided tour of the museum. It isn’t often that we get such a personal glimpse of the past, even when the past is still within living memory. We gave what we could to the museum when we left—the museum does not charge for admission but it does accept donations. I wish we could have given more.

After our visit to the museum we spent some time in today’s Boston. We walked from the West End to Chinatown where we planned to have lunch. On the way we passed Boston’s Veteran’s Day parade. It was good to see the city honoring those who have served. The highlight of the parade was the Boston Police Gaelic Column, a pipe and drum band that plays on ceremonial occasions. It is one of Boston’s traditions and the sound seemed to bring us into the life of the city as it passed.

After the parade we made our way into Chinatown where we had lunch at Pho Pasteur. We enjoyed our spring rolls and pho, the Vietnamese soup that is the restaurant’s specialty. It was perfect for a chilly November day.