▁ ▁Location ▁Like ▁many ▁squares ▁in ▁the ▁Boston ▁area , ▁In man ▁Square ▁refers ▁both ▁to ▁an ▁intersection ▁and ▁to ▁a ▁ret ail ▁district ▁and ▁neighborhood . ▁Current ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁seem ▁to ▁conver ge ▁on ▁a ▁broad ▁definition ▁of ▁In man ▁Square ▁as ▁the ▁region ▁centered ▁on ▁the ▁intersection ▁of ▁Cambridge ▁and ▁Ham pshire ▁Stre ets . ▁ ▁Ge olog ically , ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁Boston ▁Bas in ▁and ▁attach es ▁to ▁the ▁relative ▁low land ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Cambridge ▁P lain . ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁both ▁flat ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁an ▁irregular , ▁sw amp y ▁region ▁that ▁formed ▁a ▁natural ▁boundary . ▁Situ ated ▁a ▁short ▁walk ▁east ▁of ▁Harvard ▁Square , ▁north ▁of ▁Central ▁Square , ▁south ▁of ▁Union ▁Square , ▁and ▁west ▁of ▁Le ch m ere ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁East ▁Cambridge ), ▁In man ▁Square ▁is ▁fairly ▁central ized ▁within ▁the ▁Mid - C amb ridge / S omer ville ▁area . ▁Ham pshire ▁Street ▁connect s ▁it ▁with ▁Por ter ▁Square ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁and ▁K end all ▁Square ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁ ▁In man ▁Square ▁likely ▁ow es ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁Ralph ▁In man ▁( 1 7 1 3 – 1 7 8 8 ), ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁gentleman ▁of ▁fortune ▁and ▁a ▁Boston ▁merchant . ▁The ▁details ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁can ▁be ▁pie ced ▁together ▁from ▁articles ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁and ▁Gene alog ical