The definition of 'rapids' cited at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rapids is "a part of a river where the current runs very swiftly" which originated in English from the Latin word rapidus around 1625–35. It appears to have had a different meaning on the Charles River in 1909 as shown in the postcard below or maybe the name of the area remained after the dams changed the flow rate.
Benson
Benson
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