HELEN

In January 1929 the former Helen Woodford lay in rest in her family home at 420 West Fourth St. after a disastrous fire caused her death in Watertown. A huge crowd gathered outside. Why? Because her husband Babe Ruth was expected soon to pay his last respects. He came at midnight to avoid the crowds but to no avail. He was said to have cried uncontrollably at his wife's bier

 

BABE RUTH

When Babe Ruth was courting Helen Woodford from West Fouth St. in Southie he rented an apartment at the Eaton Hotel on Emerson St.(now luxury condos). After he convinced her to marry him they moved to an apartment over Joe's Spa at 481
West Broadway (over the part that is now the Amsterdam Cafe). Here is a picture of the Babe, Helen and their daughter Dorothy. They moved eventually to a farm in Sudbury.

GENE AUTRY

I spent a lot of time at the Boys Club during my youth. Once when I was there The Exec. Director Mr. Z. announced we would have a special visitor come and meet with us. That someone was Tech Sergeant Gene Autry. The same Gene Autry I idolized in the cowboy movies I saw each week. He might as well said the second coming of Christ as far as I was concerned. As 8 year olds we waited as patient as we could( he was an hour late). But in he came in his uniform and regaled us with stories of his life. My first encounter with a real live flesh and blood celebrity. My feet didn't touch the ground for weeks later

URBAN RENEWAL

I love looking at old pictures of Southie. I recently posted pictures of a rail line being placed on B St. in the early 1900’s.

When I grew up in the south end of South Boston in the early 1940’s I was quite familiar with the neighborhood northwest of D St. The area was full of houses not unlike the ones I lived in on West Fifth St. near Dorchester . It was during this period when the do-gooders nationwide felt that cities had to be reborn. The new fad was basically to demolish entire neighborhoods under the guise of urban renewal. The theory was to replace these perfectly livable homes with structures affordable for the greater masses. The D street project was one of the first to be built.

I was kind of shocked when they tore down the homes around D St. As a kid I imagined that we were going to be next. At least when they rebuilt the "project" they did provide affordable housing for the people they displaced.

Years later the West End was also demolished. The neighborhood there was very much like our neighborhoods. Maybe somewhat congested but home to many nice families. This is where the urban renewal ran amuck. They replaced housing in the West End with high rise buildings with luxury apartments. None of the displaced people could afford them.

Southie got a much better deal in the so called "Urban Redevelopment" era. Picture is of the West End.