Museum Writing
Widgets of 128/Part III
Callahan’s Vision
The Route 128 story begins with the vision of William F. Callahan, who was appointed Massachusetts Department of Public Works Commissioner in 1934. As more and more families owned automobiles, he realized, Boston traffic routes were becoming increasingly choked. Something had to be done to relieve the pressure of daily gridlock on city streets.
Callahan [...]
Widgets of 128: How a Highway Invented the Future/Part II
Build It and They Will Come
Prior to the completion of Route 128 some 50 years ago, life was quite a bit different in the communities that the highway would connect. Many were small villages with rural ways — family farms dotted the landscape from Gloucester to Quincy. Some, such as Waltham, were bustling, self-sufficient urban [...]
The Widgets of 128: How a Highway Invented the Future/Part I
Roads are fairly simple things. Some are made of asphalt, some of stone. All serve a basic purpose: they allow people to travel from Point A to Point B without becoming stuck in the intervening geography.
Yet, roads can also be much more. Some are picturesque byways or avenues of nostalgia, such as the Mohawk Trail [...]