Mechanic Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
Also GUINEA ST.
“Mechanic street was a fitting name in recognition of the artisan class, the worker in wood and metal, who have given our city its industrial strength and fame.”
So said Rev. S.D. Hosmer in 1890 before the 216th meeting of the Worcester Society of Antiquity.
Mechanic street is an old road from Main street east to Foster street. It was first laid out in 1787. Its present name came about 1829-after the factories began.
In the early days, a meadow touched at Mechanic street at one or two points. Toward the eastern end of the street beavers had built a dam which flooded the meadow.
The shallow waters froze easily, making an excellent skating rink. Youngsters and oldsters whizzed between Main, Summer, Mechanic and part of School streets.
At another meeting of the Society of Antiquity, Major F.G. Stiles read a paper on how Mechanic street was in 1840.
“In those days,” he said, “the boys always used to stop, take off their hats and make a respectful bow to older persons whom they met on the street.”
The street had a considerable Negro population at one time and was unofficially known as Guinea street.
The industries have all but vanished as Mechanic street becomes more and more an extension of Main.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
