Whats in a name.

Several sources have stated that Camp Cameron was known to the locals as Camp Day. Several documents at  the Cambridge Historical Commission mention this. The earliest source I have found is a book published by the CHC on the architectural  history of Cambridge MA. It is unfortunate that none of these sources site their source.  Earlier I stated that a single Cambridge Chronicle article refers to "Camp Day" before the official name charge, I was wrong. I confused two articles. The one I quoted was from 1862, after the military official changed the name of the camp to "Camp Day", so I have no evidence of the residents ever used the name "Camp Day" before 1862. When I thought I had one use of the name I had put out the theory it was in reference to a Militia Field that was in the area before the war. One would think that if the locals were calling the camp "Day" all along and during the end of the camps life the name officially became "Day", then after the camp closed many if not most people would have used "Camp Day". This did not happen. Two sources stand out.  The first is Mr. Henderson's account of his life in North Cambridge. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs he talks about "Camp Cameron", he also talks about two other fields outside of the know camp. He was a long time resident and maybe a Militia member hints that he was a member of the Militia. If any "Local" should have referred to the camp as  "Camp Day" he should have. He does not. The Cambridge Chronicle is the same way. They have many references to "Camp Cameron" for decades after the camp closed. The unused land is always refered to as the "Camp Cameron" property, right up until it is developed. It is never called  "Camp Day".


DAN SULLIVAN