In 1895, Dr. John Lovejoy Elliott, a young man inspired by the growing settlement house movement, moved to the tough, working-class neighborhood of Chelsea. There, he met and encouraged a
group of young, rowdy boys to take their fighting off the streets and organize into a boxing club called the “Hurly Burlies.”
Over the next few years, Dr. Elliott established numerous programs for boys and girls, working women, and families. These groups merged in 1897 to become Hudson Guild, which provided a
platform for neighbors to organize and improve living conditions.
