The Pace of Modern Living

John Hales surveyed Boston during the course of 1818, 1819, and 1820.  The resulting handbook, A Survey of Boston and Its Vicinity; Shewing the Distance from the Old State House, at the Head of State Street, to all the Towns and Villages Not Exceeding Fifteen Miles Therefrom; Also the Intermediate Distance from One Place to Another, Together with a Short Topographical Sketch of the Country, (Boston, 1821) provides a wonderful overview of the relationship between Boston and its outlying towns.  Hales provides distances to numerous landmarks, especially churches and taverns, outlines the purpose and construction of the Mill Dam, and provides a miscellany of other information, including what follows.  One can still walk the long Mall, which takes you down Tremont Street, from Park Street to Boylston Street.

A Table shewing the rate per hour a person is moving by the time taken to pass through the long Mall from the fence on Park Street to the fence on Boylston Street.

                   

Time Passing Thro' Mall

Rate per Hour

Time Passing Thro' Mall

Rate per Hour

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Minutes	Seconds	Miles	Minutes	Seconds	Miles
19	8.86	1	3	49.77	5
15	19.09	1 1/4	3	28.88	5 1/2
12	45.91	1 1/2	3	11.48	6
10	56.49	1 3/4	2	56.74	6 1/2
9	34.43	2	2	44.12	7
7	39.54	2 1/2	2	33.18	7 1/2
6	22.95	3	2	23.61	8
5	28.24	3 1/2	2	15.16	8 1/2
4	47.21	4	2	7.65	9
4	15.3	41/2	1	54.85	10