The Parker House, opposite the city hall at School and Tremont streets in Boston, opened in 1855 and became “a favorite down-town hotel, . . . the leading place down town where people congregate for news and gossip.” It offered “a large private dining-room for banquets, and numerous smaller dining-rooms” and was “renowned for the excellence of its cuisine.” Among its other attractions was “an oyster-counter and bar; and a large billiard-room” (Bacon, advertisement on page G, 353).

Clemens had originally proposed speaking twice in Boston, giving “Roughing It” and possibly his Sandwich Islands lecture (1 Feb 74 to Redpathclick to open link). Redpath booked him for only a single performance, of “Roughing It,” in Horticultural Hall on the evening of Thursday, 5 March. This was the first time Clemens had given that lecture in Boston (“Lectures This Evening,” Boston Evening Transcript, 5 Mar 74, 1).