Talk:Dorchester, Boston

History resource

The history of Dorchester in the Dorchester Reporter By Bill Walczak (not me)

Very well written. Excerpts of it should become Widipedia. (I'd ask Bill first, if he can be found)

http://www.dotnews.com/history.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.135.196.139 (talk) 09:34, 6 June 2005 (UTC)

Crime

Something should be noted about the massive amounts of crime (drug dealing, prostitution, break-ins, etc) that occur in Dorchester. There is an article on the frontpage of the Boston Globe of August 1, 2005, about this, specifically Lyndhurst St. I used to live in one of the buildings mentioned too. Ick. MSTCrow 09:30, August 2, 2005 (UTC)

Being front page material for the Globe does not make it "news" worth quoting. If you want to write something about "Boston" crime, go ahead, but be sure to use NPOV. I lived in Dorchester for nearly 20 years and it was much safer (and quieter) than when we lived in the Back Bay. Lupinelawyer 01:16, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

if you lived in dorchester for 20 years and didnt think that there was crime you must have been living under the train tracks. i lived in ashmont for most of my life, a safer neighborhood and there were still gangs, drive bys and drugs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.223.243.5 (talk) 19:08, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

You may be a bit younger. I lived in Dorchester for 20 years too and we never locked our doors, never had any problems. But when I speak to friend who still live there they say it is awful. I also visited my old neighborhood a few years ago and boy has it changed. Very depressing. And the house we lived in is now priced at $300,000+! and it's a dump, the whole street is! My friend just sold hers for $425,000!!! and it is all boarded up! How can that be? - Jeeny ^Talk 23:15, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I have lived in Dorchester since 1986, my house is attractive - no boards. The streets here are in no way uniformly "awful." There are a few areas of Dorchester that have major problems. There are other areas of Boston that have problems with crime, too. I'd like to see this article contain historical background and factual information about Dorchester. Anyone working on this? Rafdotmass (talk) 04:49, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

Anyone who thinks Dorchester is safer than Back Bay needs to have his or her head examined. Huge parts of Dot are crime-ridden ghettos. Something should be mentioned in the article, this piece makes it sound like it's all historical sites and gentrified swank. 76.172.170.70 (talk) 04:12, 26 May 2011 (UTC)

Crime rates depend a lot on exactly where and when, and personal perceptions do not necessarily reflect broad statistics. -- Beland (talk) 04:30, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

The crime section states "Boston ranked 6th in Violent Crime per 100,000 people in 2010" doesn't seem to be correct, or depends highly on the "grouping" of city size chosen... I also can't seem to find a single table (including the cited reference) that lists Boston as the 6th highest violent crime city in the US as of 2010. I think this should be restated or re-cited with a corrected reference. I added a "citation needed" tag for that line. AnonymousORguy (talk) 20:22, 26 May 2013 (UTC)

This claim seems to have since been removed from the article. -- Beland (talk) 04:32, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

Horrendous

This article is completely worthless. The largest neighborhood of Boston, with large amounts of history-- and somehow songs by a punk band merit mention? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.54.14.3 (talk) 06:28, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

Isn't it a little too big to be a "neighborhood?" It's a "section" of the city of Boston which formerly was it's own city. 2603:6011:A600:46:E4A2:EAF4:C4CF:1CE1 (talk) 14:00, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

It's commonly referred to as a neighborhood, as are the smaller neighborhoods inside it. -- Beland (talk) 04:26, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

The mention of the punk band has since been removed from the article. -- Beland (talk) 04:34, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

Founding

Were the colonists who founded Dorchester part of the Plymouth Colony or the Massachusetts Bay Colony or both? Which would the settlement have been governed by? The two articles seem to have conflicting information. -- Beland 02:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I understand it may appear to be conflicting, but they don't, because there was not one group of people, but many, that settled in the New World. Although, they may have had common reasons for the immigration, such as the disagreements over the Church of England, persecutions, restrictions and its government. Also, different settlement areas had different "town leaders" (sent from different congregations in England) who had their own group of followers, and instructions to minister, govern, etc. The ministers and their congregations were sent to different areas, some directly from England, and others moved up from Plymouth to the Mass Bay. It's very complex, and like I mentioned, was not just one "group", but many, therefore, the different settlements. Though many occurring around the same time, coming from different locations and on different ships. Some of those people did come from the Plymouth Colony to "spread" or join the congregations, but it split into different groups and some of those joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony but many more came from England directly to the specific colonies. Plymouth's first voyage from England was on the ship the Mayflower and the most popular voyage to the Massachusetts Bay was the Mary and John. Although, there were other ships, and other groups, but those listed are the most famous. They also traveled (the leaders) back and forth from England and other areas, and back again, exploring other areas. Hope that helps explain the differences. Jeeny (talk) 17:28, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

That doesn't really clear anything up; I think we need to get some particulars. To my understanding, the various companies were given a monopoly over making land grants and enforcing the laws to which the individual settlements would be subject. They seem to have reasonably well-defined territories, though they shifted over time and there were often boundary disputes. Image:Plymouthcolonymap.png shows a boundary between Mass Bay and Plymouth established in 1639. I assume Dorchester was incorporated in 1630 in affiliation with the Massachusetts Bay Colony? What was the affiliation of the people who landed there before that? Was there more than one arrival before incorporation? The conflicting language has disappeared from both of the articles, but now it seems like the early history of Dorchester could use some filling in. -- Beland (talk) 23:02, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

I just noticed that map says that Weymouth and Hull were settled as part of Plymouth in the 1620s, but became part of Mass Bay in 1630. Did something similar happen to Dorchester? -- Beland (talk) 23:05, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

It looks like Dorchester was settled by members of and was always governed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. -- Beland (talk) 22:22, 9 August 2018 (UTC)

Neighborhoods

Your Neighborhood section omitted a very important section of Dorchester. Did you forget about Meeting House Hill? St. Peter's Parish was one of the most prominent neighborhoods in the city. Growing up and going to St. Peter's School are some of our best memories. The change that occurred in Dorchester to what it is today is to be blamed on busing in the 1970's. Many families moved out of this area and an influx of Puero Rican families moved in followed by the Asian groups. It's unfortunate that it is now known for high crime. I'm still proud to say that I am from Dorchester and still have family living in what is now called Adams Village section. This area is a wonderful reminder of how most of Dorchester was like in the 1960's and 1970's. fmm (OFD)Originally from Dorchester. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.126.54.79 (talk) 13:22, March 11, 2007

I'm going to try to improve the article more. This takes time. Why don't you take a stab at improving and expanding it too? I was going to include St. Peter's but then it didn't fit in to what I was writing about at the time. But it did provide for a mental "to do" list for me. Also the many monuments, landmarks, etc. Remember the old White Church? I'd like to add that bit of trivia too, as it is known by its formal name the "First Parish Church of Dorchester" We never called it that. LOL. (and it's included in the article (I'm thinking of starting a page on it, but just did the Mather School article). I do remember the monument in front of the church in the park there across Winter street. I used to climb on that thing when I was a kid, not appreciating its importance. What about that one? Jeeny 19:20, 15 April 2007 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jeeny (talk • contribs)

It seems that Dorchester is far too large to it's self be refered to as a "neighborhood." That term seems more appropriate to the "Neighborhood sections and squares" that exist within Dorchester. --74.132.156.3 (talk) 03:17, 28 November 2014 (UTC)

My Thoughts exactly! 2603:6011:A600:46:E4A2:EAF4:C4CF:1CE1 (talk) 14:28, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Map request

I am going to try to work on this. Was thinking the same thing. Needs maps! Jeeny 19:07, 15 April 2007 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jeeny (talk • contribs)

I added a map of the neighborhoods and removed the map request template. Sswonk (talk) 15:22, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

Punk band in the History section?

Does the information about the punk band really belong in the history section? Is this "band" any more notable than any other person, place or thing in or from this area? Perhaps in the notable residents section, or another section, (I doubt it) but I don't think the history section is appropriate. We might as well put in a paragraph about the Wahlburgs and all their entertainment work, as they are more well-known and FAMOUS. What about the other "famous" boy bands from Dorchester, where are they? I've moved it here in its entirety as it was at the bottom of the History section. Please discuss it here before adding it back to the article. Thanks. Here is the paragraph:

In 1980, local punk band The Gremies released a single, "No Surfin in Dorchester Bay", which featured a band member trying to surf in the still waters of the bay, wearing a "Dorchester" T-shirt with a picture of a classic Boston "triple decker" house; several Dorchester and Boston landmarks are visible in the background, including the Prudential Tower, the John Hancock Tower and the Boston Gas tank. In 2004 punk band the Street Dogs named a song after the neighborhood, entitled "In Defense of Dorchester."

Jeeny 20:42, 15 April 2007 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jeeny (talk • contribs)

This has since been removed from the article. -- Beland (talk) 04:33, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

Come on now...

This page needs a total rewrite. There must be someone out there willing to put in the time to make this a serious entry. MarkinBoston 18:52, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

I agree, but I don't have the time, and I haven't been there in well over 15 years. Much has changed. Can you help? - Jeeny ^Talk 18:55, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Boston Latin School

Boston Latin School is not in the Dorchester area... Boston Latin Academy is in the Dorchester area. This article also needs some major reworking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by EmCree (talk • contribs) 18:52, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Notable Residents

The notable residents section is a bit unwieldy, and doesn't appear to be comprehensive. Would anyone object to moving that information to a separate list or category?Fullobeans (talk) 06:23, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

It is indeed. Some may be dubious additions as well. --- (Bob) Wikiklrsc (talk) 21:43, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Name of County in Massachusetts

For reference, the county should be named early in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.185.161.127 (talk) 04:44, 21 December 2010 (UTC)

Dorchester in Norfolk County?

Was Dorchester transferred Srom Suffolk to Norfolk County in 1793, along with most other towns except Boston? 76.218.100.214 (talk) 22:16, 10 June 2011 (UTC)

Help with edits

Hi - anybody interested in helping me out? I am working slowly to edit information, especially history, about Dorchester, Boston MA on Wikipedia but my edits are getting reverted which I think means removed - for example Childe Hassam is a well-known artist that was born in Dorchester, but when I added his name to Dorchester Notables with a link to the appropriate Wikipedia information it was removed. Rafdotmass (talk) 16:49, 7 December 2013 (UTC)

Boston Globe section needs updating

Speaks in present tense of NYT Co. ownership; need references to sale to Henry and Henry's potential sale of property. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dmcole (talk • contribs) 16:08, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

Columbia Heights

I've also heard people refer to the area between Uphams Corner and South Boston (on the west side of the Red Line tracks/I-93) as "Columbia Heights", but I can't put my finger on a map with this label. Can anyone corroborate? Not sure if this is an old name or maybe a new term or if people have a more common name for this area. -- Beland (talk) 20:21, 1 December 2014 (UTC)

Outline

1.) The Dorchester Wiki page is given a, “C Class” rating which signifies that it contains a decent amount of reliable information, but some sections are incomplete and some data is irrelevant. The history section is thorough; the town’s foundation, several periods of history and modern day. The education page is also well equipped. Public and technical schools are well listed, and colleges are also displayed. There are a decent amount of “sites of interest”. As frequently pointed out in the talk page, I agree that the crime section should be much more elaborated.

2.) Like just mentioned, the crime section is lacking. Unfortunately Dorchester is well known for its gang violence and drug related offenses. I will definitely add to this section and focus my attention on crimes related to gang violence and drug dealing. Earlier on in Dorchester’s history it was a upper class suburban neighborhood. However after a spike of suburbanization about thirty years ago, Dorchester has been slowly declining economically. Other sections that are lacking are the demographics, transportation and economy. All of which need more information and perhaps some better images to display the information being presented.

3.) The new outline will look similar to the current Wiki page. Except much more information will be included in the mentioned sections. Also more images will be added because the images on the page currently are inaccurate and lacking in substance.

4.) Census data is a personal favorite of reliable information. Numbers don’t lie and this wiki page is lacking in numbers. Crime stats will be well established. I will also be using scholarly articles to provide background information on sections such as economy and transportation. I also want to visit Dorchester and see for myself what I am researching.

5.) I will only use site’s that have the domains, .org, .gov, nd .edu. No .coms. I also must make sure the information presented is from a neutral point of view. No bias or opinion based information.

--Kbache01 (talk) 19:34, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

Kbache01 Edits

I'm in the education program called wikipedia.edu and editing this page was a requirement for coursework. When I first read over the Dorchester Wikipedia page, I was able to grasp a general concept of the town of Dorchester. However the page lacked updated statistics and urban concepts. Originally the lead section was a skim paragraph. I added on three more paragraphs describing further content of what was already existing and what I added. The demographic section was mostly complete already. I updated the statistical data and added a couple of ethnic groups that make up a substantial population in Dorchester. In regards to urban policy, I included the economic history of Dorchester and how that encouraged zoning policies to allow public housing, factories, businesses and an increase of crime to occur. For community resources, I included substantial content about the University of Massachusetts: Boston because this institution brings only positive community development to Dorchester. Such benefits include attracting other institutions related to Umass: Boston and increasing an economically and racially diverse population. For my three additions I choose to further elaborate on Umass: Boston, the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and community service groups geared towards being proactive against crime. Overall I read the entire page and made numerous grammatical edits and included several hyperlinks to bring more substance to the Dorchester Wiki page.

Kbache01 (talk) 14:12, 29 April 2015 (UTC)

Mking1988 edits

I am contributing to Wikipedia as a requirement for my Urban Sociology course. After reviewing the Dorchester Wikipedia page, I noticed that the section on demographic had little statistical information. So I added statistics on population, by age, income, race, education, and sex, to the demographics section using the American Community Survey. I, also, added a new section on housing in Dorchester, which breaks down rental and owner-occupied housing statistics for the community. If you have any questions, concerns, and/or suggestions please feel free to advise. Mking1988 (talk) 18:12, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

AlyssaMDejesus

I am adding new sections to the wikipedia page as an assignment for my Urban Sociology class. Along with my classmates S0281915 and Shakiraurena we added various new sections like health, urban policies, city budget, community resources, public utilities, financial exchange, and activities and literature. By adding these new sections we hope to provided more insight and information on dorchester. user:AlyssaMDejesus (AlyssaMDejesus (talk) 20:30, 29 April 2016 (UTC))

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Shakiraurena, Mking1988, AlyssaMDejesus, S0281915.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 19:44, 16 January 2022 (UTC)