This time of year I am so busy with my book store that I do not get as much time as I would like to do new research at the archives. This does force me to review the material I already have. Often when you reread a document after seeing others you see it with new eyes. When it comes to actual books, I long ago got to the point where if I found new material on Camp Cameron I was happy if I found one good paragraph. A few days ago I had a little time and went to the local history room at the Melrose library. I was on the hunt for the source of some material someone else shared with me a while ago but could not remember where they found it. I had no luck, but before I left I picked up "Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Mass". It had a short blurb on Camp Cameron. "Adjoning the orchards of the Philemon Russell property was a 50-acre military camp known as Camp Day or Camp Cameron.....Prior to the Civil War, annual musters were held at the camp, and it was used during the Civil War.... After the war contruction of new streets.... including Holland St. (built in 1867) .
Theses few sentences in a book that is not about the war cleared up several things I had long suspected or had misinterpreted.
As I have mentioned in my first post, it has been stated that the locals always referred to the camp as Camp Day. What is strange about this is, except for the first story the Cambridge Chronical ran on the camp, I have never found any other contemporary references by locals for Camp Day until it was officially renamed in 1862. It just seems that more stories or diary entries would use that name.
The Cambridge Historical Commision has a document on file called "Old Times in North Cambridge." It is a one page recollection of John J. Henderson of his time in the area. He mentions the camp and two other fields where "we boys" held musters also. Again, I have found no other other mention of these other fields in descriptions of the camp, but others have quoted this as part of Camp Cameron.
For quite awhile I have felt that Mr. Henderson was talking about the local militia's annual musters. "Beyond the Neck" seems to back up this idea. Also a few sources, like "Beyond the Neck" have used the 50 acre amount, when the map of the camp shows it was much bigger. I believe this most likely also describes the militia field.
The other thing it cleared up was due to my own lack of thinking something through. It states Holland Street was not built until after the war. I have stated Holland Street was the northern border of the camp. I simply read the description of the camp from Bennett and assumed it was Holland because Holland Street is there now. The wording fits Broadway not Holland. I do believe I would have caught this eventually and can take a little solace in the fact that other people have looked at the map and said the same thing. Of course they are not doing the research.
So, this one paragragh gives Camp Cameron a longer military history, the size of the militia fields, another block of real estate, the year Holland Street, Cameron (Street) and Elmwood were built through the old camp and the name of the company that developed the land in 1896. Not a bad paragraph!
DAN SULLIVAN
Theses few sentences in a book that is not about the war cleared up several things I had long suspected or had misinterpreted.
As I have mentioned in my first post, it has been stated that the locals always referred to the camp as Camp Day. What is strange about this is, except for the first story the Cambridge Chronical ran on the camp, I have never found any other contemporary references by locals for Camp Day until it was officially renamed in 1862. It just seems that more stories or diary entries would use that name.
The Cambridge Historical Commision has a document on file called "Old Times in North Cambridge." It is a one page recollection of John J. Henderson of his time in the area. He mentions the camp and two other fields where "we boys" held musters also. Again, I have found no other other mention of these other fields in descriptions of the camp, but others have quoted this as part of Camp Cameron.
For quite awhile I have felt that Mr. Henderson was talking about the local militia's annual musters. "Beyond the Neck" seems to back up this idea. Also a few sources, like "Beyond the Neck" have used the 50 acre amount, when the map of the camp shows it was much bigger. I believe this most likely also describes the militia field.
The other thing it cleared up was due to my own lack of thinking something through. It states Holland Street was not built until after the war. I have stated Holland Street was the northern border of the camp. I simply read the description of the camp from Bennett and assumed it was Holland because Holland Street is there now. The wording fits Broadway not Holland. I do believe I would have caught this eventually and can take a little solace in the fact that other people have looked at the map and said the same thing. Of course they are not doing the research.
So, this one paragragh gives Camp Cameron a longer military history, the size of the militia fields, another block of real estate, the year Holland Street, Cameron (Street) and Elmwood were built through the old camp and the name of the company that developed the land in 1896. Not a bad paragraph!
DAN SULLIVAN
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