Kings Dictionary Of Boston

Bacon's goal in writing King's Dictionary was to provide "a conveniently arranged ... hand-book, guide-book, and condensed history of Boston in one compact, ready-reference volume." Organized like a dictionary, entries include the following: The Ace of Clubs Club (a social dining club for dramatic, musical, and literary folks); the Free Hospital for Women and Children (offering free medical care to poor women and children, although there were only fifteen beds ...); Germans in Boston ("as a class ... conspicuous for their industry, thrift, and frugality); and Health of Boston (in which one learns that the "principal streets are cleaned daily" while "house-dirt and ashes" were picked-up once a week.) The ads are also delightful, and include ones for Chauncy-Hall School (which boasted "Special Students, many of whom are young ladies"), Prang's Artists' Material Store, Boston Theatre, and Holmes Furniture (showing a 19th-century version of a La-Z-Boy.) King's Dictionary is a truly comprehensive work covering all things Boston.