Poet Laureate wouldn't be a first for Boston

Charles Swift jumps into the poet-laureate debate (i.e, should Boston have one) with both historical feet: For more than 100 years:

Boston had an official orator whose job was to commemorate notable occasions--first, the Boston Massacre until the end of the American Revolution and then, after the Revolution ended, to commemorate the Fourth of July. This role lasted until at least the early 20th Century. ...