The Boston Bottle Works existed on the easterly side of Somerville (a few miles away). The company was in business until 1878-1879 and was thereafter closed. Nobody knows if any of the insulators in this street scene were of Boston Bottle Works (BBW) manufacture. Any that were used were for fire alarm telegraph (and other telegraph) lines. In city/town locations like this, these lines were strung along the lowest crossarms on the poles. All known BBW insulators had a pretty narrow wire groove and their use was intended for telegraph line construction. The telephone was introduced about the time BBW folded and electric light service began soon afterwards (1880). The latter necessitated larger grooved insulators for the rapidly expanding electric distribution and transit-power companies. Samuel Oakman (BBW founder) began producing these "heavier" insulators by 1890 when he founded the Oakman Glass Manufacturing Company in Boston. His specialty were insulators capable of supporting large-diameter DC powered trolley lines and the related.