Looking west on Boylston St. toward Cypress St. after the break of a 70 in. water main on February 14, 1917. On the south side of Boylston from left to right:

• 316 Boylston St., the Boylston Garage
• Southeast corner of Boylston and Cypress St., the large house of Annie C. Crocker
• Southwest corner of Boylston and Cypress St., store fronts, still standing

On the north side of Boylston from left to right:

• Northwest corner of Boylston and Cypress St., the large curved building of storefronts and apartments, still standing
• Northeast corner of Boylston and Cypress St., apartment buildings 351 to 315 Boylston St.
• Three identical apartment buildings, 311, 305, 299 Boylston St. A woman is viewed in the second-floor window of #305.
• 293 Boylston St., workshop of B. W. Neal

The woman in the window of #305 is Elizabeth Grennan (nee Ryan), wife of fireman Thomas Grennan (viewed in another photo). She and her husband raised five children – three boys and two girls. In 1917, the children ranged in age from 1 to 13. Two of the boys became doctors – one a podiatrist and the other a veterinarian – and one of the daughters became a nurse. The other daughter became a teacher and the other son a corrections officer, eventually rising to superintendent of the state prison in Concord. Elizabeth died in 1967 at the age of 88.

[Courtesy of the Digital Commonwealth (CC BY-NC-ND). From the Metropolitan District Commission, Water Division, Metropolitan Water Works Photograph Collection, 1876-1930]