The ease of transportation via the Old Colony Railroad revolutionized Dorchester in the period between 1850 and the Civil War and brought a residential building boom that lasted the next seven decades. The town was annexed to the city of Boston in 1870, and by the turn of the century, Dorchester was one-fifth of the entire city. By the time of the Great Depression, the three-decker, Dorchesters unique contribution to American architecture, was a trademark of the community. Dorchester, part of the Then & Now series, places vintage images alongside contemporary photographs to explore the history of this communitys public schools, places of worship, transportation, streetscapes, and historic houses.

The lessons author Gerard Healy learned growing up in Bostons neighborhood of Dorchester prepared him well for the life that followed. His parents, teachers, kind neighbors, true friends, and the culture of Dorchester provided Healy with a solid base of values. Trial and error would fill in the gaps. The stories in Originally from Dorchester narrate the good, the bad, and beauty of life there in the mid-60s. A story of place and time, it chronicles a young boys struggle for identity against the competing forces of peer and gang pressure. A predominantly Irish working-class neighborhood, Dorchester held everything including brutal street fighters, true friends, intimidating nuns, and protective neighbors. Carrying the spirit of adventure with him always, Originally from Dorchester shares the lessons learned from family and friends that Healy has carried with him as hes roamed far beyond the towns borders. It explores the complex relationships of adolescent peers, the struggle to break free of intimidating violence, and the saving value of friendship.

Beginning in 1924, Proceedings are incorporated into the Apr. no.