Dorchester was settled in 1630 by Puritans from England, and for over two hundred years it remained a small farming community. However, the arrival of the Old Colony Railroad brought first a flood of wealthy new residents from the city of Boston, and soon a second wave of newly-arrived immigrants who introduced a new diversity and vibrancy to the area. Renowned local historian and author Anthony Mitchell Sammarco has brought together more than two hundred compelling images of the town of Dorchester, showing the events, places, and faces that defined Dorchester during the exciting period between its annexation to Boston in 1870 and the early 1920s. The photographs show a community which has constantly embraced change and diversity without losing its sense of tradition and pride in its heritage. They bring to life the history of such neighborhoods as Meeting House Hill, Grove Hall, Codman Square, Pope's Hill, and Neponset, showing buildings long gone and many that are still familiar features of the local landscape, as well as busy streetscenes and images of Dorchester residents at work and play during fifty key years of the town's history.