City maps & historic tourism EJ Phillips 1830-1904

Homepage A to Z Index Book outline About these letters About EJ Phillips People Places Plays EJ Phillips Facebook Fan Page

City maps & historic tourism (with thanks to authors Sarah Vowell and Richard Holmes)

I've been experimenting with Google Maps and Google Earth as they seem incredibly well suited to getting maps of neighborhoods EJ Phillips lived and/or worked in. The web has become increasingly valuable for history and historical accounts over the past 10-15 years. It took me awhile to realize that the Willard and Palmer House Hotels were not the buildings EJ Phillips had stayed at -- though they are on the same sites. New York, with a wealth of addresses and years of letters has been the most tractable (and compact) place to investigate. Washington DC has provided some true surprises and my plans for a transcontinental western train trip have prompted creation of many more city maps

Baltimore Letters EJP's Baltimore Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.00049a51974ca162c7fa6&ll=39.269972,-76.624532&spn=0.022493,0.055575&z=15

Boston Letters EJP's Boston Google Map 1886-1895
When I moved to Boston in 1979 I never dreamed I would read letters from a relative talking about the flowers in the Public Garden or going to Longfellow's House in Cambridge. I still need to check out (and transcribe a letter) an excursion EJ Phillips made to City Point {Castle Island) and I haven't really figured out which new park was unfinished in 1888. Did EJ Phillips ever visit Quincy Market or Faneuil Hall? the Union Oyster House in the Blackstone Block? She almost certainly saw the State House, the Park Street Church, and the Granary Burying Ground. How much of the Freedom Trail would she have been likely to see? http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Trail

Old Landmarks of Boston Boston Railway stations
Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data, Tufts University https://dca.lib.tufts.edu/features/bostonstreets/people/directories.html

Boston hotels and theaters
US Hotel, Beach Street, between Lincoln and Kingston 1886-1893 Still around in 1895 according to Bostonian Society photo on web Jan 2007.
photograph of Bowdoin Square https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Bowdoin_Square_%28Boston%29 http://lostnewengland.com/tag/bowdoin-square-boston/

Bijou Theatre 543-547 Washington Street, Boston Museum 18 -28 Tremont Street, between Court & School Sts, Boston Theatre Washington St, near West St,Park Theatre Washington St near corner Boylston

more Boston and Cambridge Historic Tourism

Buffalo Letters EJP's Buffalo Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.000499247fc2c944ecea6&ll=42.884471,-78.875163&spn=0.01066,0.027788&z=16
Hotel Iroquois Oct. 1890http://www.buffaloah.com/h/iroqH/index.html Hotel Genesee 1895 Two Fountain Plaza [now a Hyatt Hotel]
Buffalo walking tour Great architecture, Olmstead parks and the Historical Society building from the Pan American Exposition of 1901 -- reminds me of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Many thanks to Ellen and George

Charleston letter
Charleston Google map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.000499abaac0b5ef84052&ll=32.778507,-79.930043&spn=0.012232,0.027788&t=h&z=16&layer=t

Chicago Letters Chicago Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.00049808fec2a0bd5928b&ll=41.909112,-87.632017&spn=0.043308,0.111151&z=14&iwloc=0004980916ea6188109c6
Chicago hotels Palmer House 17 East Monroe St, Sherman House Randolph St between Clark and LaSalle, Tremont House Lake & Dearborn Sts, Leland Hotel Michigan Ave. Boulevard & Jackson St.

Cincinnati of John Nickinson and EJ Phillips Cincinnati Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.0004980b2bec7cb370b54&z=15
John Nickinson is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery http://www.springgrove.org/history.aspx in the Masonic plot.

Cincinnati of John Nickinson and EJP
Pike's Opera House, Fourth Street & Vine Street, southeast corner. John Nickinson was the stage manager at the time of his death. EJ Phillips appeared there with Junius Brutus Booth Jr. the night Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865. EJP lived at 208 West Fifth Street in 1864 according to the "Spirit Letter" Was this where she and John Nickinson had lived?
John Nickinson was photographed at Dewey's Gallery 102 West Fifth St., bet. Vine & Race 1862

John Nickinson died Feb. 9, 1864 at the apothecary store of Mr. C.H. Brutton, on the north-west corner of Fifth and Elm streets.
Photograph of Hattie, Hoag and Quicke's Art Palace 100 Fourth Street c. 1865 Photograph of Albert, Ball & Thomas Photographic Art Gallery 120 West Fourth Street near Race c. 1865

Burnet House, Third and Vine, built 1850, EJP stayed in Jan.1893 Palace Hotel, Sixth and Vine, northwest corner, opened 1882, EJP stayed in Nov. 1893
I haven't really been to Cincinnati, only the airport (which is in Kentucky). But I did find some nice photographic histories in the airport bookstore.

Denver Letters Denver Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.0004980c74e21dd9d9eda&z=15

Indianapolis Google map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&vpsrc=1&ctz=300&vps=2&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.0004a79a9a3bff37ede55

Knoxville Google Map https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zEx3QjGFmwvY.kt5fzP5LkmGM&usp=sharing Knoxville letter Feb 1897

Los Angeles Letters Los Angeles Google map
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.00049848ced3869db63f7&z=18
Hotel Nadeau 202 West 1st Street [now site of the LA Times]
Hotel Ramona, Cor. Spring and Third Streets, FB Mallory, Prop, Sept. 1896

Middletown Letters, NY
Albert & Neppie's Middletown Google Map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.00049958d6c6f5c6f3687&z=18
Middletown and environs Google map Albert & Neppie, Macardells and the Zavistowskis 18702-1900s
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=202426891661796490166.00049973276c80c870dfa&ll=41.51886,-74.328003&spn=0.834925,1.783905&z=10