Allston-Brighton has a fascinating and unique past, a history so varied,
so filled with twists and turns as to constitute a microcosm of our
national experience. From its founding in the seventeenth century, when
it was known as Little Cambridge, to its contemporary incarnation as a
vibrant Boston neighborhood, Allston-Brighton has remained a spirited
community through generations of change. John Eliot established his
first Praying Indian village, Nonantum, here in the late 1600s; the
Winships Brighton Cattle Market prospered from 1776 through the
nineteenth century, meriting several visits from both vagrants and
notables, including Nathaniel Hawthorne; and the Beacon Trotting Park
provided entertainment in the late 1800s. Along the Charles, through
Aberdeen, at the market and on the first electric streetcars, Dr.
William P. Marchione provides a journey through the stories of
Allston-Brighton's past.