Ward Two in Somerville in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
"What Mr. Chase Didn't Know about Coffee, Mr. Sanborn Did."
Photographed by Marc Posner, August 15, 2024
1. "What Mr. Chase Didn't Know about Coffee, Mr. Sanborn Did." Marker
1863. Caleb Chase and Somerville's James Sanborn launch "Chase and Sanborn" brand coffee, which would be the first to be sold from coast to coast, and by 1879, to be packaged in sealed cans. Their success bought Sanborn a Winter Hill mansion. In the 1930-40s, the company sponsored "The Chase and Sanborn Hour," a wildly popular national Sunday night radio show featuring famed ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy Charlie McCarthy. It was to woo away their listeners that Orson Welles staged his famous "War of the Worlds" radio hoax on Oct. 30, 1938, "announcing" a Martian invasion.
Erected by City of Somerville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 42° 22.999′ N, 71° 6.465′ W. Marker is in Somerville, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. It is in Ward Two. It is at the intersection of Somerville Avenue and Bleachery Court, on the right when traveling east on Somerville Avenue. Located in Conway Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 550 Somerville Ave, Somerville
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Historic Boston and specifically in Greater Boston. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A City of Immigrants (a few steps from this marker); A Librarian To Somerville, A Friend To Man (within shouting distance of this marker); When Trolleys Ran On Hay / Changing Uses, Changing Names (within shouting distance of this marker); From Golden Glass to Silver Screen / Whatever Happened to Baby Bette? (within shouting distance of this marker); Picture Perfect / The Price of Liberty (within shouting distance of this marker); Country Town or Gritty City? / A Little Eden (within shouting distance of this marker); A Revolutionary Hero, Much Revered (within shouting distance of this marker); A Lasting Memory, a Growing Park: George Frederik Conway / A Hero to the Nation and the World
Photographed by Marc Posner, August 15, 2024
2. "What Mr. Chase Didn't Know about Coffee, Mr. Sanborn Did." Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 451 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 27, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
