Discover Concord Summer 2024

Discover

CONCORD SUMMER 2024

A Turning Point at Wright’s Tavern

The Sons of Liberty

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story

19

PLUS!

THINGS TO SEE & DO THIS SPRING

A Midnight Stop on the Underground Railroad

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FOUNDERS

It’s Our

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It’s hard to believe, but it’s been five years since the launch of Discover Concord, and we are celebrating! We are so grateful to our readers, subscribers, authors, contributors, advertisers, sponsors, Advisory Board, and so many others who have helped make the magazine such a great success in a short time. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Just two friends and an idea about giving back turned into Concord’s first ever tourism magazine, launched in the summer of 2019 with a 40-page pilot issue and a fervent hope that we could make a difference. Some of those early features, such as Barrow Bookstore’s clever Concord Trivia, Dave Witherbee’s stunning photo essays, and the walking maps of Concord’s cultural centers endure to this day. We continue to focus on the area’s revolutionary history and literary legacy, as well as our parks and outdoor treasures, thriving artistic community, and the many family-friendly events that keep us all connected to this beautiful community. Today, Discover Concord magazine has grown to an average of 80 pages and frequently includes special inserts and other features that highlight hidden gems in Concord and great places to discover in surrounding areas. We’ve even won a few awards in the process, thanks to your support!

In this issue you’ll find articles on the Sons of Liberty, today’s Concord Minutemen, the legacy of Wright’s tavern, and a good mystery concerning the possible pseudonyms of Louisa May Alcott. We highlight Concord’s own Doris Kearns Goodwin and her newest book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s. Follow along as we discover

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

©istock.com/CatLane

Birthday! the origin of Concord’s beloved Barrow Bookstore. And, of course, you’ll find so many Things To See & Do and fun options with Arts Around Town this summer!

With all the excitement and happenings this season, you may want to take a moment to slow down. Our special insert “Thoughtful Places in Concord” will inspire you to pause and reflect, ponder your world, or simply take a moment to enjoy the beauty that is all around us.

So, Happy Birthday Discover Concord! And a great big thanks to all of you! Here’s to many more years together!

PS – We all love presents, right? Well, if YOU would like to do a little something to help us celebrate our 5th birthday, would you consider subscribing? There are a LOT of new visitors coming to town with the big 250 celebrations, and your subscription helps us print more copies to welcome our new friends and help them get to know what makes Concord and our surrounding area so special! Please visit DiscoverConcordMA.com to subscribe (or to gift a subscription to a friend!). Thanks so much!

Cynthia L. Baudendistel Co-Founder

Jennifer C. Schünemann Co-Founder

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p. 12

p. 15

contents SUMMER 2024

10 12

Things to See & Do this Summer

From Concord to the World: Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

15

Simple Steps for a Summertime Tea Party

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

16

The Concord Minute Men: Honoring the Past

BY DOUG ELLIS

18 p. 20

By The Law of Nature Free Born: The Sons of Liberty

BY RICHARD SMITH

20

Celebrating a Historic Connection at the Wright Tavern

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

22

A Turning Point at Wright’s Tavern

BY VICTOR CURRAN

24

Exploring Conord in a Morning, a Day, or a Weekend

BY BETH VAN DUZER

28

By Any Other Name: The Pseudonyms of Louisa May Alcott

BY JAN TURNQUIST

p. 10 4

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

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Telling Their Stories Contents Continued on Page 6

Guest Rooms – Restaurant and Tavern – Outdoor Patio Dining — Groups & Events

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p. 38

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Dining Al Fresco in Concord

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

insert

Thoughtful Places in Concord

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

contents

34

p. 46

A Midnight Stop on the Underground Railroad: Shadrach Minkin’s Flight to Freedom Led through Concord

BY BEN JACQUES

38

Right as Rail: Take a Trip through West Concord on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

BY CARLENE HEMPEL

41

Where to Stay, Shop, and Eat in Concord

42

Walking Maps of Concord

46

Making Nature Accessible to All

BY RENATA POMPONI

48

Lights! Camera! Action! A New Film Stars Concord’s Own Ellen Garrison

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

50

History Inspires Fashion at The Old Manse

BY MARYBETH KELLY

52 p. 52

The Tale of Concord’s Barrow Bookstore

BY JAIMEE LEIGH JOROFF Contents Continued on Page 8

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

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Discover

CONCORD discoverconcordma.com CO-FOUNDER Cynthia L. Baudendistel CO-FOUNDER Jennifer C. Schünemann ART DIRECTOR Beth Pruett DISTRIBUTION Wilson S. Schünemann

p. 76

ADVISORY BOARD

56

Concord Kids: Fascinating Firefly Facts!

BY BAREFOOT BOOKS

60

Historic Concord: Plan Your Visit

BY CYNTHIA L. BAUDENDISTEL

62

contents p. 66

p. 70

Finding Margaret Fuller in Concord: A Book Review

BY KRISTI LYNN MARTIN

64

Tnumarya: A Profile of Mary Moody Emerson

BY MARYBETH KELLY

66

The Bounty of the Season

BY CYNTHIA L. BAUDENDISTEL

68

Artist Spotlight

BY LYCA BLUME

70

Arts Around Town

BY CYNTHIA L. BAUDENDISTEL

72

Concord Trivia

BY BARROW BOOKSTORE

76

Concord Welcomes Summer

BY DAVE WITHERBEE

79

Advertiser Index

© 2024 Voyager Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISSN 2688-5204 (Print) ISSN 2688-5212 (Online) For reprint and permission requests, please contact cynthia@voyager-publishing.com | 314.308.6611

Kathi Anderson THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT

Bobbi Benson

BOBBIE BENSON ANTIQUES

Patricia Clarke SARA CAMPBELL

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FRIENDS OF MINUTE MAN NATIONAL PARK

Marie Foley

CONCORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Marie Gordinier RALPH WALDO EMERSON HOUSE

Professor Robert A. Gross UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Helen Halloran

CONCORD FLOWER SHOP

Lisa Krassner

CONCORD MUSEUM

Rob Munro CONCORD250

Catherine Shortliffe THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

Jan Turnquist

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE

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THE ROBBINS HOUSE

Steve Verrill VERRILL FARM

Anke Voss

CONCORD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Jerry Wedge

THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER

David Wood

CONCORD MUSEUM

COVER PHOTO:

The School of Philosophy at the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House in Concord, MA. © Voyager Publishing LLC

AUTHORS/CONTRIBUTORS: Cynthia L. Baudendistel Lyca Blume Pierre Chiha Victor Curran Doug Ellis Carlene Hempel Ben Jacques Jaimee Leigh Joroff Marybeth Kelly Kristi Lynn Martin Renata Pomponi Jennifer C. Schünemann Richard Smith Jan Turnquist Beth Van Duzer Dave Witherbee PUBLISHED BY:

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Jennifer C. Schünemann at jennifer@voyager-publishing.com | 978.435.2266 8

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

discoverconcordma.com

Things to See & Do in Concord this

1

Explore the historic battle at Concord’s North Bridge where the British Army suffered its first casualties of the war, and the legacy of this event in American History. Join a park ranger for “Concord’s North Bridge and Memory,” a 30-minute tour sure to be a fascinating and insightful look at this pivotal moment in history. Tuesdays through Sundays at 11:00 am, June 21 – August 29. Nps.gov/mima

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Visit the Hartwell Tavern, witness to the historic events of April 19, 1775.

The Tavern is open 10 am – 4:30 pm and public programs take place at 11 am and 2 pm daily. Join a park ranger to discover the motivations and realities faced by those who volunteered to be “ready at a minute’s warning.” Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (except June 15, June 29, and September 14).

Nps.gov/mima

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Tour Buttrick Gardens. Experience this historic garden that stands near the muster fields of April 19, 1775. Begun in 1911, two generations of the Buttrick family tended and enlarged the formal gardens until 1962, when the National Park Service purchased the property. Framed by ornamental trees and shrubs, the garden beds contain the Buttrick family’s award-winning iris and daylilies, colorful spring bulbs, and perennials that bloom from spring to fall. Join Friends of Minute Man Park for a free 45-minute tour of these remarkable gardens. Join in person or online.

Free. Registration required. June 27 and July 25.

FriendsofMinuteman.org/events

Courtesy of the National Park Service

Courtesy of the National Park Service

The events at Concord’s North Bridge on April 19, 1775, turned on decisions made by soldiers on both sides; decisions that changed the course of history. “North Bridge Battlefield Walk” is a new walking

tour to the April 19 North Bridge battle site where you’ll learn more about those fateful decisions. June 21 – August 29.

Tuesdays through Sundays at 2:00 pm Nps.gov/mima

©istock.com/jacoblund

19 Summer 10

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

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Join Verrill Farm to raise money for a great cause, Connections. All proceeds support individuals with limited access to nature to experience connections with the natural world. Bring the whole family and compete to win the grand prize! Join in the face painting, live animal encounter, and enter the raffle to win prize baskets. June 29.

VerrillFarm.com

Celebrate Ag Day 2024. Don’t miss this annual farmer’s market showcasing Concord’s robust farming community. Pick up the freshest produce while you enjoy music and more on Main Street in Concord Center. September 7.

ConcordAgDay.com

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August 11 marks just 250 days until the 250 celebrations! Help light the way, with a lantern celebration around town with fun activities for the whole family! Learn more at VisitConcord.org/concord-250

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Join The Robbins House for their annual reading of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech, “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” Audience participation is welcome and light refreshments will be served. July 4 at 10 am. RobbinsHouse.org

18 Mona Lisa

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Henry David Thoreau spent two years living at Walden Pond, but where did he spend the rest of his life? Join the Concord Museum for this unique tour, “A Walk in Thoreau’s Concord,” and explore the other homes in Concord where Thoreau lived and hear the personal stories told about him by his family and friends. July 13.

Concord Museum.org

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Courtesy of the National Park Service

Screen the new film, Mona Lisa is Missing. Concord Free Public Library will host a screening of the awardwinning film Mona Lisa is Missing, describing the 1911 theft of da Vinci’s famous painting “Mona Lisa” from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The filmmakers will join via Zoom after the screening to talk about how they researched the film. July 13. Free and suitable for all ages. ConcordLibrary.org

9

Experience Riverfest Summer 2024.

This three-week celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers has something for everyone. Paddle the rivers, attend history talks, go birding, and more.

And be sure to visit The Old Manse for a day full of family and kid-friendly activities on Saturday July 20. All events are free and open to the public! July 6 – 28. Sudbury-AssabetConcord.org

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Join the 83rd Annual Gathering of the Thoreau Society. The theme this year is Thoreau & Resilience, and with dozens of sessions, roundtable discussions, and more there is sure to be much here to ponder and discuss.

July 10 – 14. ThoreauSociety.org/enjoy-ourevents/annual-gathering

Rent a kayak or canoe from the South Bridge Boat House and explore the 29 free-flowing miles of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers which have been designated as “Wild and Scenic” for their outstanding ecology, history, scenery, recreation value, and place in American Literature. Learn more at TheSouthBridgeBoatHouse.com

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Rent a bike in any of the four Minuteman Bike Share locations: Concord Center at the Visitor’s Center, in West Concord by the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Bridge over the Nashoba Brook, Acton’s East Village on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, and at Brooks Street along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Rentals are just $2/hour and are a great way to explore Concord’s many trails with the whole family.

MinutemanBikeShare.square.site Concord Bike Share program

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Celebrate Capt. Parker’s 295th birthday this July 13 on the Battle Green in Lexington from 11 am - 2 pm. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy musci, activites, food trucks, and birthday cake! More at Lex250.org.

14 15

Honor George Washington Dugan on July 18. Visit the website for more information. VisitConcord.org You know Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, but how well do you know Concord’s other cemeteries? Tour the oldest cemetery in Concord, established circa 1636, and learn about the lives of past Concordians.

“Grave Detectives Walking Tour” will explore the classic iconography of New England headstones that feature winged skulls or “death’s heads”, urns, willows, and other symbols. August 3. ConcordMuseum.org

Courtesy of the Concord Visitor Center

7

Celebrate Independence Day! Pack up the family and friends and head to Emerson Playground for a delightful day of music, games, food vendors, and more.

July 4. VisitConcord.org

Public domain

Explore Queer History at the Wayside during a very special open house that will include presentations by park rangers.

June 29. 10 am – 4 pm Nps.gov/mima

discoverconcordma.com

11

From Concord to the World: Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story

C

Courtesy of Doris Kearns Goodwin

Dick and Doris on their wedding day

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

“I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy. At times, history and fate meet at a single place and a single time to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom.

So it was in Lexington and Concord, so it was a century ago at Appomattox, so it was last week in Selma, Alabama.”

— President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965 (speech written by Dick Goodwin) 12

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

Concord is an interesting place. It’s filled with the sites and stories of the American Revolution. You can literally walk in the footsteps of the great American transcendentalist writers such as Thoreau and Emerson. General Lafayette stopped here on his farewell tour of America in 1824.

There is something about this small town that continues to draw magnetic personalities who shape our country over and over.

One such luminary is Doris Kearns Goodwin – Pulitzer Prize-winning author, respected presidential historian, and wife of the internationally acclaimed presidential speechwriter, the late Richard (Dick) Goodwin.

Together, this inspirational couple witnessed the turbulent events of the 1960s and worked hard to do their part in shaping a more positive outcome for future generations.

Living the History of the 1960s Doris’ interest in leadership began as a professor at Harvard and was deeply shaped

by her work for Lyndon B. Johnson, both during his time in the White House and later as she assisted him in writing his memoirs. These experiences led to her first book, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. She followed up with the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor and the Home Front in World War II. She earned the Lincoln Prize for the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals, the basis for Steven Spielberg’s awardwinning film Lincoln, and the Carnegie Medal for The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.

Dick Goodwin was a senior advisor and speechwriter for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. His work helped shape both politics and public policy. After

Dick Goodwin working with President Johnson in 1965

©Yoichi Okomoto

Bringing History to Life Doris shared the story of a fateful morning, shortly after Dick had turned 80. He came down the stairs in the morning, singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.” “Ok,” said Doris “why are you so happy this morning?”

He responded, “I’ve decided it’s time to open the boxes.” And Doris knew exactly what he meant. For their entire married life, 300 boxes had followed them around from one place to another – from basements to barns to storage.

“The boxes were an incredibly complete time capsule of the 60s.

But Dick hadn’t wanted to open them all those years,” said Doris.

“He was everywhere you wanted him to be with JFK, with LBJ, with Jackie Kennedy, with Robert Kennedy, with Senator Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire – and he saved everything.

But the decade had ended too sadly with the death of Robert Kennedy. Dick was with him when he died. Bobby was his closest friend in public life. His death, together with Martin Luther King’s assassination, the riots in the cities, and the campus violence that

Doris working with LBJ in 1968

©Yoichi Okomoto

A Love Story in a Turbulent World Dick and Doris met in 1972. She was a young professor at Harvard, and he was a brash and brilliant political consultant and speech writer. Their relationship was intellectual and emotional magic from their first meeting.

“We started a conversation that afternoon about everything – about music, astronomy, sex, LBJ, the beleaguered Red Sox, and more,” recounted Doris. “We went to dinner and the conversation didn’t stop. It never stopped the rest of our lives.”

They soon married and eventually moved to Concord, where they lived for more than four decades. Here, they gathered almost nightly with local friends to discuss and debate the issues of the day. This sort of lyceum both bridged and continued the traditions that form the basis of Concord culture – a passion for social justice, drawing inspiration from nature, and a dedication to holding leadership accountable and speaking truth to power.

“It was the adventure of a lifetime being married for 42 years to this incredible force of nature – the smartest, most interesting, most loving person I have ever known,” she said. “How lucky I have been to have had him by my side as we built our family and our

careers together – surrounded by close friends in a community we love.”

LBJ signs the Voting Rights Act

©Yoichi Okomoto

John F. Kennedy’s assassination, it was Dick Goodwin who arranged for an eternal flame to be lit at the presidential burial site in Arlington National Cemetery. When Robert F. Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles, it was Dick Goodwin who sat vigil with family members and other aides until Kennedy was pronounced dead.

Dick helped craft many important political speeches, including JFK’s first major address on Latin American affairs, Robert Kennedy’s 1966 “Ripple of Hope” anti-apartheid speech, and even Al Gore’s concession speech after the 2000 election.

In 1965, President Johnson relied on his young advisor to craft one of the most famous speeches in presidential history, in the wake of horrific violence inflicted on peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama.

The resulting “We Shall Overcome” speech propelled a nation forward and led to the historic Voting Rights Act.

was going on had cast a dark curtain on Dick’s memory of the 60s. For decades, he just wanted to move ahead rather than look backward.”

But the passage of time inspired Dick. “If I have any wisdom to dispense, I’m past 80.

I had better start dispensing it now,” he said.

And so, they embarked on a great adventure – opening that time capsule and diving into a rediscovery of the events, people, and politics that shaped a nation throughout an important chapter of American history.

Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

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Hope for a New Generation In a touching full-circle moment this past spring, Doris stepped up to the podium at the Goodwin Forum in the Concord Free Public Library – a public lecture hall named in honor of Dick and Doris. That momentous quote from the Selma speech is displayed on a wall overseeing a portion of the Goodwins’ stunning collection of 10,000 books they had gathered over a lifetime of work.

Surrounded by those books – by a lifetime of memories of her extraordinary life together with Dick – this petite woman with a powerful presence began to speak of her late husband, of their collective experiences they had with leaders who both inspired and frustrated them, of the couple’s tireless work towards a more inclusive vision of America, and of their final quest together to share a piece of living history with a new generation.

“My husband had an extraordinary life of public service,” said Doris. “This book is really about his unwavering belief that – as difficult as times may be – the ideals of America endure.”

“I believe that in some ways, that desire to be remembered is why we tell stories of our loved ones,” said Doris. “If I could advise people, having gone through those boxes, I would say don’t wait until your loved ones die to go through their scrapbooks and memorabilia. Do it while they’re alive

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

Doris Kearns Goodwin at the Concord Free Public Library

so they can share their stories with you.

And then you share their stories with your children, grandchildren, your friends, and your colleagues. That is how people live on forever.”

A Love Story for Us All What was clear to me, as I looked around the Goodwin Forum and listened to the powerful words of this woman whom I admire so deeply, was that this love story never ends. Not with Dick Goodwin, whose spirit is fondly remembered by so many.

Not with Doris, whose words and presence

inspire so many to embrace the responsibility to be good stewards of our community. And not with us – each one of us.

Despite the corporate news channels and social media networks vying for our attention and dividing us with algorithms designed to ignite passion and pit us against each other, we all remain an important part of this grand experiment called democracy. The Great Society is still alive – all around us.

An Unfinished Love Story reminds us of that sacred duty to each do our part to ensure that America endures.

You can find a signed copy of some of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s books right in Concord Center at the Concord Bookshop. To learn more about the amazing woman we here in Concord have the privilege of calling friend and neighbor, please visit DorisKearnsGoodwin.com

Courtesy of Doris Kearns Goodwin

“Combing through these papers reconnected us with participants and witnesses of pivotal moments of the 1960s. It gave us an important final mission in the last chapter of Dick’s life – and bringing those voices to life for the public has been deeply important to me,” said Doris.

Sadly, Dick passed away before their work together was complete. But the spark had been ignited, and Doris would work through her grief and eventually go on to finish what she and her husband had begun together.

The resulting book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is equal parts biography of Dick Goodwin and a deeply insightful glimpse into the human, political, and cultural response to the turbulent 1960s.

The stories may have hailed from half a century ago, but they are strangely resonant with the America of today.

eps for aSimple Steps for a Summertime Tea Party me Tea Party

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

CHÜNEMANN

Whittard Tea, A British favorite

This article was made possible through the support of The Bee’s Knees British Imports

©Voyager Publishing

Courtesy of the Bee’s Knees British Imports

of white tea, or the soothing warmth of herbal ng warmthTea’s of herbal association with Great Britain began infusions, here’s a guide to help you prepare o help youinprepare the 17th-century when it was introduced the perfect “cuppa.” to British society by Portuguese and Dutch Firstly, start with quality ingredients. The y ingredients.

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©Voyager Publishing

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Photo courtesy of Whittard Tea

Whittard Tea, A British favorite

Photo courtesy of Whittard Tea

Tea in summer

Tea in summer

Lucinda serves students at a Master Class on brewing tea

weak brew. Generally, black teas require 3-5 minutes, green teas 2-3 minutes, white teas 4-6 minutes, and herbal teas 5-7 minutes. A lid or a tea cozy can help maintain the ideal temperature throughout the brewing process.

Once the tea is brewed to perfection, remove the leaves or tea bags promptly to prevent over-extraction. Leaving them in the water can result in a bitter or astringent taste.

If you have questions about brewing the proper cup of tea, or are wondering where to find high quality teas, the perfect table setting, or British treats to accompany your summertime tea party, the ladies at The Bee’s Knees British Imports would love to help – Lucinda might even share her recipe for sausage rolls if you ask her! Cheers!

This article was made possible through the support of The Bee’s Knees British Imports

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15

The Concord Minute Men: Honoring the Past

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BY DOUG ELLIS

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a modern-day minuteman? The Concord Minute Men, established on December 10, 1962, in advance of the bicentennial, is the quintessential colonial unit here in Concord.

At its peak in 1976, it boasted 253 men (and only men were admitted). The Minute Men was one of those organizations everyone wanted to participate in if they could.

In subsequent years, membership declined, as with many other organizations.

The bicentennial came and went, and although a plethora of events followed in the subsequent years, only a stalwart group of members formed the core and kept the tradition alive.

By 2010, membership was down to about 20 with only about seven or so members active at any given time. But the lights were not out for the Concord Minute Men. A core group of us knew how much fun and what an honor it is to represent the town and its history and wanted to share it. John Arena began to recruit new members from the Concord Public Schools staff, and before long, we had a solid fife and drum corp. John recruited Julie Beyer into the fife corp and we threw out the “men only” requirement and never looked back. Slowly but surely, 16

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

the musket men began to increase in ranks by both bolstering our numbers from other minute companies and from our own new recruits.

Today we have roughly 40 members, with about 25 attending each event. We consist of our fife and drum unit, musket men and women, and honor guard. Our focus is to have fun, making participation easy. In the original days of the Concord Minute Men, we had very basic uniforms that needed to be more historically accurate, but they reminded the members of the period they represent.

Today, we strive for a much higher standard, but frankly, we do not think the public who sees us cares if our canteen straps are made of cotton or hemp.

Our fife and drum unit have a lot of fun. They conduct practices nearly every

week at the Fenn School or the School of Philosophy at the Orchard House in the winter. In warmer months, you can see us practice on the Town Common across from the Colonial Inn (typically on Tuesdays).

New members need not have any experience. A fife is a relatively inexpensive instrument, and the team is happy to teach.

Of course, experience playing a flute helps a lot! We have many of our original drums

they’re usually the old uniforms that aren’t historically accurate, and probably won’t fit very well. It’s a good place to start without spending a lot but you’ll probably want to upgrade soon. We do strive for the National Park authenticity standard but understand that’s a very high hurdle for a newcomer. We maintain a long list of suppliers these days both locally and online where you can get a very authentic “kit” put together fairly quickly and with minimum expense.

Our current membership is composed of both new and long-time members who been doing this for generations like our Captain, Carl Sweeney, who was a member as a teenager at the bicentennial, as well as Jay

Powers and Colin Chisolm who participated with their fathers years ago. Additionally, history buffs like me who are just honored to represent those who came before, and entire families like Kermit King and his daughter Addie who recently caught the bug and are enjoying discovering the hobby together. Either way, at the end of each event we have to ask, “Who else gets to do all this stuff ?”

——————————————————————————— Doug Ellis is a past captain of the Concord Minute Men, past Master of the Corinthian Lodge of Freemasons in Concord, and newly appointed to Concord’s Historical Commission.

All Photos ©Maia Kennedy

from back in the day, so new drummers can usually draw from a supply of well-seasoned instruments.

The musket men and women represent the original minutemen as faithfully as possible. The Concord Minute Men begin their musket drills in January every year to refresh the veterans and train the new folks. Our movements are all dictated by the “1764 Manual of Arms” and since all units use the same drill, anyone can drill with any other unit. This is good for several reasons.

First, we all follow the same safety protocols and learn from each other. Second, if you know the drill, you can participate with any other unit. We ask that members attend as many drills as they can until they can show proficiency to our Safety Officer, Doug Ellis. Once proficient, members have the opportunity to join up with other units and participate in any number of public events and re-enactments.

Together, the combined unit participates in many town events including Patriots’ Day, the Dawn Salute at the Old North Bridge, Honored Citizen, Memorial Day observances in West Concord and Concord Center, the Veterans Day Flag retirement ceremony, and the Holiday Tree Lighting. We also make annual presentations to the 5th-grade classes in all the schools (as schedules allow). Additionally, in recent years, we’ve spread our wings and have been invited to several parades outside of Concord such as the Bunker Hill Parade in Charlestown, the Marlborough Labor Day Parade, and Holliston’s 300th Anniversary Parade.

We also get invited to unusual events such as promotional videos with WBZ, Ken Burns’ “Honor Your Hometown” video series, the commissioning of the USS Thomas Hudner, and so much more.

The time commitment is up to the member.

We all do this to have fun, and although we want and need to have good numbers to participate in events, we understand that everyone can’t do everything. We have some members who just participate in the Patriots’ Day parade and that’s fine. We have others who participate in about everything because they want to and that’s awesome!

Getting outfitted is another big concern for most people. The fact is, it’s a process. We do have some waistcoats, breeches, and such that were turned in by former members. But,

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17

By The Law of Nature Free Born: The Sons of Liberty

W With the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Great Britain was now in control of North America: the 13 British colonies along the seaboard were safe and sound from their enemies, while all French territory east of the Mississippi, as well as Spanish Florida, now belonged to King George III. For the first time since 1701, Great Britain was at peace. But the empire was also broke.

The French and Indian War was just a part of the world-wide Seven Years War between England and France, and it had been costly; in America alone the Crown had spent £70 million, and their national debt had doubled to £140 million. Great Britain needed money.

The Crown spent seven years saving the American Colonies from the French and their Native allies; it made sense to Parliament that the Americans should be the ones to shoulder the financial burden of the war. To raise much-needed revenue, in 1764 Parliament issued the Sugar Act, a levy imposed on sugar, molasses, and other products imported into the American colonies. The following year the Stamp 18

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BY RICHARD SMITH

Act was levied, a tax imposed on all paper documents in the colonies, including newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, broadsides, legal documents, dice, and playing cards.

The colonies did not take these new taxes well, and nowhere were they greeted with more scorn than in Boston. From the writing of petitions to the printing of anti-tax pamphlets and signage, protests were organized by a secret group calling themselves The Loyal Nine.

About the same time, a second clandestine group calling itself The Sons of Liberty was also organizing in Boston, and by the end of 1765 the two groups would merge. They took their name from a speech given by Isaac Barre, an Irish member of Parliament sympathetic to the American colonists who warned that the British government’s treatment of the colonies “has caused the blood of these sons of liberty to recoil within them.” The group would gather under a large 120-year-old elm tree near Boston Common dubbed the Liberty Tree and,

under the cry of NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, they incited, organized, and led mobs in the streets of Boston to openly protest what they saw as unfair taxation, as well as to verbally harass and physically attack Royal officials such as tax collectors.

One of the most notorious protests against the Stamp Act was in August 1765 when the Sons of Liberty attacked the mansion of Massachusetts Lt. Governor Thomas Hutchinson; the front door was smashed in with axes and the house was looted. Irreplaceable artwork and silver were destroyed or carried off by the Sons, while the mansion’s cupola was even knocked off Sons of Liberty broadside, Boston 1765

All images public domain

Boston Tea Party engraving, 1789. Library of Congress

the house and destroyed. Some £2,200 worth of damage was caused by the mob. To further protect himself, Hutchinson removed himself and his family to Castle William in Boston Harbor. Hutchinson got off easy; a favorite tactic adopted by the Sons to publicly shame tax collectors, Royal officials, and avowed Loyalists was to tar and feather them.

It was with the passage of the Townshend Acts in 1767 and 1768 that the Sons of Liberty would really make a name for themselves.

Yet another series of levies and regulations, among the items to be heavily taxed this time was tea, and the enforcement of the acts was backed up with the arrival of 1,000 British soldiers in Boston. The Sons of Liberty would not take any of this sitting down. Certainly, their best-known protest occurred on December 16, 1773, when a large mob of men and boys, organized and led by the Sons, marched from Old South Meeting House to Griffin’s Wharf, and with cries of “Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!” boarded three East India Company ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. Some 92,000 lbs. of tea were destroyed, worth $1.7 million dollars in today’s money.

John Adams claimed the destruction of the tea was a principled protest by citizens defending their constitutional rights. Sam Adams called it an “Epocha in History.” King George III, on the other hand, was livid; he immediately closed the port of Boston and said it would remain so until the destroyed shipments of tea were paid for by the city of Boston. Unknown at the time, this very public protest by the Sons of Liberty brought Massachusetts one step closer to Revolution; by 1774, the King would declare Massachusetts in “open rebellion,” and with tensions mounting between the Crown and the Bay Colony, the shooting would start 16 months later at Lexington and Concord.

The Sons of Liberty was not just a Boston organization. The colonies of New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia all had Patriot groups calling themselves the Sons of Liberty. In the years leading up to the American Revolution all the groups were in contact with each other, and all were united to rally public support for colonial resistance against the Crown.

The Sons of Liberty played important roles on the night of April 19, 1775, as General Thomas Gage sent a large detachment of British troops to Concord to seize military

The Liberty Tree in Boston. From an 1825 illustration

supplies. It was a Son of Liberty, Dr. Joseph Warren, who learned of Gage’s plans from an inside source. Under his direction, two other Sons, Paul Revere and William Dawes, were sent to Lexington to warn Sam Adams and John Hancock (both Sons, as well) that the Regulars were out. And it was Concord’s own Dr. Samuel Prescott, whom Paul Revere called “a high Son of Liberty,” who actually brought the alarm to Concord in the wee hours before gunfire broke out at the Old North Bridge.

In 1876, Louisa May Alcott wrote, “Remember, there were ‘Daughters of Liberty,’ as well as sons, in the old times you love so well.” And she was right; it wasn’t just the men of Boston who formed resistance to

A 1774 British print by Philip Dawe that depicts the tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm.

Library of Congress

the Crown. The Stamp Act crisis of 1766 saw the creation of the Daughters of Liberty, and over the next few years the patriot women of Boston organized protests against taxation, held spinning bees to make homespun cloth while boycotting British textiles, and created “Liberty Tea’’ from fruits and herbs as a replacement for British tea. When the Revolution broke out in 1775, the Daughters of Liberty would be involved in the war effort by melting down metals for bullets as well as gathering textiles and sewing uniforms for the American army. It’s no wonder that Sam Adams would say of the women Rebels, “With ladies on our side, we can make every Tory tremble!”

And tremble they did! While the Crown looked upon the Sons and Daughters of Liberty as terrorists, there can be no doubt that they played an important role in the years leading up to the American Revolution.

Indeed, the efforts of these grassroots organizations hastened the coming of the American Revolution. From protests in the streets of Boston to a declaration of independence in Philadelphia in 1776, the Sons of Liberty and their female compatriots, tied together by their “Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor,” led the way to the creation of the United States through their words, deeds, and actions.

——————————————————————————— Richard Smith has lectured on and written about antebellum United States history and 19th-century American literature since 1995. He has worked in Concord as a public historian and living history interpreter for 25 years. He has written eight books for Applewood Books and is a regular contributor to Discover Concord.

Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

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Celebrating a Historic Connection at the Wright Tavern

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©Pierre Chiha

©Pierre Chiha

©Pierre Chiha

©Voyager Publishing

©Pierre Chiha

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN The Wright Tavern Legacy Trust invited visitors and residents alike to a fun celebration of Concord history on the lawn of the tavern this past Patriots’ Day. Did you know that the Wright Tavern is where the Massachusetts Provincial Congress met in 1774 and took the decision to rebel against the crown? This decision paved the way for the events of April 19 that are celebrated each year in Concord, Lexington, and surrounding towns. That historic moment in our nation’s history is one of many reasons why the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust is working hard to restore and protect this important part of our collective cultural heritage.

It seemed fitting to invite Sam Adams Brewery to help put the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraising’ to support the restorations, by inviting participants to ‘drink a Sam Adams where Sam Adams drank a beer.’ After all, Sam Adams himself was known to have a pint on many an occasion at the Wright Tavern in Concord! Local fishmonger Sven Fish joined in the fun – offering oyster ‘shots’ and traditional chowder.

Proceeds benefited the ongoing restoration project. But best of all, the community experienced a wonderful place to gather and share stories – fulfilling the very purpose the Wright Tavern has held since it was built in 1747.

For more information, and to support the project, please visit www.wrighttavern.org or scan the QR Code.

This article was made possible with the support of the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust 20

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

A Turning Point at Wright’s Tavern

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The Provincial Congress met in 1774 at the First Parish Meetinghouse (left) and held planning sessions in the Wright Tavern (right). Detail from A View of the Town of Concord, April 19, 1775, by Timothy Martin Minot, about 1825.

Concord Museum Collection, Bequest of Mrs. Stedman Buttrick, Sr.; Pi414

A

As hostilities grew between Massachusetts and the English government in the 1770s, popular opinion was divided. Concord’s “patriot preacher,” Rev. William Emerson, spoke out for liberty and served as chaplain for Concord’s Minutemen. Meanwhile, his brother-in-law, lawyer Daniel Bliss, remained loyal to the King, and would be forced to flee for his life to Canada when war erupted in 1775.

When Massachusetts stood on the brink of war in 1774, the people’s representatives met in Concord, in Rev. Emerson’s own church, to decide what to do next. They conducted much of their planning and off-the-record debate next door in the place we now call the Wright Tavern, in honor of tavernkeeper Amos Wright.

The path to this critical choice began with people complaining about the taxes imposed on the American colonies. These were especially onerous because the colonies had no representatives in the British Parliament, so they were taxed without the people’s consent.

But many people’s livelihoods depended on imports and exports passing through the port of Boston, and trade was tightly controlled by the British government and its private-sector partner, the East India Company. Even those not directly engaged in commerce, such as judges and other government officials, often had their salaries paid out of the taxes collected on imported tea. Resistance to British rule was not an obvious or easy choice, and many families

BY VICTOR CURRAN

LEFT: Rev. William Emerson welcomed the Provincial Congress to convene at the First Parish Meetinghouse.

Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library

had members on opposite sides of the argument.

Until 1774, Massachusetts expressed its resentment in acts of nonviolent protest.

Even the Boston Tea Party in December 1773 was carried out with great care to avoid bodily harm, but it caused considerable property damage. One report placed the amount of tea lost at more than forty tons, worth almost £10,000 at the time.

The Prime Minister, Lord North, was outraged. His response was swift and severe: “Boston had been the ringleader in all riots . . . therefore Boston ought to be the principal

object of our attention for punishment.”

Parliament passed what Americans called the Intolerable Acts, which closed the port of Boston, revoked the 1691 charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and put Massachusetts under military rule. The elected government was replaced with a mandamus council under the control of Gen. Thomas Gage, and thousands of soldiers were deployed to enforce his orders.

Many people lost their income when the port of Boston closed. All saw their way of life endangered when they lost the right to selfgovernment through elected representatives and Town Meetings. Were they ready to move beyond mere protest and meet these threats with force? Rev. William Emerson thought so; his loyalist brother-in-law did not.

In September 1774, Gen. Gage had ordered the elected assembly to meet in Salem,

Gen. Thomas Gage’s effort to suppress opposition in the Massachusetts assembly provoked the formation of the Provincial Congress. Portrait by John Singleton Copley, ca. 1768

Public domain

Public domain

John Hancock presided at the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1774. Portrait by John Singleton Copley, 1765

but a few weeks later, sensing the growing opposition, he canceled the meeting. Ninety representatives showed up anyway. Since Gage and his councilors were absent, they regarded Gage’s authority as void and declared themselves the effective (if not strictly legal) government of Massachusetts, naming themselves the Provincial Congress and electing John Hancock as its president.

On October 7, the Provincial Congress met in Concord. The town offered plenty of accommodations because travelers often came here to do business at the courthouse.

The most conveniently located of these was the tavern operated by Amos Wright on the Bay Road (now Lexington Road), just a few steps from the First Parish meetinghouse.

The meetinghouse was the biggest building in town, and the minister, William Emerson, was a staunch patriot. He welcomed the Provincial Congress to meet there and invoked God’s blessing on their proceedings.

Concord had the advantage of being inland.

The British occupation force was concentrated in and around Boston, and their ubiquitous presence had a chilling effect on political

dissent. Farther west, patriotic sentiment flourished. Concord was not without its loyalists—Rev. Emerson’s brother-in-law Daniel Bliss was a prominent example—but the town was generally hospitable to the Provincial Congress, especially the tavernkeepers who did a brisk trade providing food and lodging for the delegates.

The Provincial Congress did not initially set out to form an independent nation. Some delegates held more radical views than others, but their immediate concern was to restore the rights of self-government that had been in place since 1691 and been revoked by the Massachusetts Government Act only a few months before. But in September, Gen. Gage had sent more than 250 soldiers to Winter Hill (in present-day Somerville) to seize the militia’s supply of gunpowder and hold it at Castle William in Boston Harbor.

It appeared that an arms race had begun between the British Army and the provincial militias, and that was a race Massachusetts could not afford to lose.

In Wright’s tavern, the debate was no longer about a burdensome tax; it was now

about how to meet the very real threat of military aggression. And here in Concord, the Provincial Congress chose to meet the threat head-on. They directed towns to establish Minute Companies—the elite fighting units of the local militias—and to stockpile weapons, ammunition, and “all kinds of warlike stores, sufficient for an army of fifteen thousand.”

Could they have imagined how radical that action was? The measures they deemed expedient for self-defense would result in an eight-year war, the birth of an independent nation, and a model of democracy that has taken root all over the world.

This article made possible with the support of the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust.

——————————————————————————— Victor Curran writes and leads tours of historic Concord and is an interpreter at the Concord Museum and the Old Manse. He teaches courses and writes articles about the men and women who made Concord the home of American independence and imagination.

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23

Monument

Exploring Concord in a Morning, a Day, or a Weekend

W Welcome to Concord! Wondering how to make the most of your time here? Whether you are in town for a morning, a day, or a weekend, this itinerary will help you get started!

If You Have a Half Day Spending a half-day in Concord is just enough time to learn about the two revolutions that occurred in our town. The first revolution to know is the American Revolution. Park downtown in one of the free parking lots and saunter up Monument Street to Minute Man National Historical Park. The flat, 1.2 mile walk on paved and crushed stone sidewalks should take about 20 minutes. As you make your way up Monument Street, visualize farmland as all the houses between the Colonial Inn and the Elisha Jones House had not yet been built.

Additionally, imagine a lot fewer trees.

Concord was founded in 1635, just five years after Boston. It was the first inland settlement of the colony of Massachusetts, where one could not smell the ocean. So, what did the first Concordians use to build their homes? Trees. How did they heat their 24

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BY BETH VAN DUZER

homes? Trees. And, since the colony of Massachusetts had a coast, many trees were used to build ships. By 1775, the town was 80% deforested. Therefore, the shady trees that protect you from the summer sun on your saunter along Monument Street would not have been here almost 250 years ago.

About seven-tenths of a mile up the road, you will see the yellow Elisha Jones house.

On April 19, the ell of this home had 17,000 pounds of salted cod in its basement. The Regular Army came to Concord to that day to seize munitions and supplies, including food. Today, the National Park Service owns this silent witness house. A little further up the sidewalk on your left will be The Old Manse, a property owned and operated

by The Trustees of Reservations that was also a silent witness to the revolution on April 19, 1775.

While not part of Minute Man National Historical Park, the Old Manse played a prominent role in the revolution. The patriot preacher, William Emerson, and his family lived there. His wife and children watched the battle from an upstairs window. Just past the Old Manse is the entrance to the National Park.

Follow the dirt path down to see the monument erected in 1836 to pay homage to the men that fought on April 19, 1775.

Next, see the the Old North Bridge, which has been rebuilt five times. Across the bridge, you can see the Minute Man Statue, by sculptor Daniel Chester French.

Continue to follow the dirt road up to the air-conditioned North Bridge Visitor Center, where you can watch a short movie, view artifacts, and speak to Park Rangers.

When you have had your fill of the American Revolution, return downtown via Monument Street. Once you are near the Colonial Inn, cross Monument Street to Court Lane to visit Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. There you will learn about the second revolution that occurred in Concord, the Literary Revolution.

Ralph Waldo Emerson is the grandson of our patriot preacher, William Emerson.

Before Ralph Waldo Emerson, Concord was where the “shot heard ‘round the world” happened. After his arrival in town and his success as a philosopher, author, and lyceum speaker, he became the voice heard ‘round the world. Because of him, notable

©istock.com/traveler1116

erected in 1836

Courtesy of Concord Museum

Source: Wikimedia.org

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s grave

figures of the day chose to visit Concord.

To walk to his grave, you will start at the beginning of the nearly 100-acre cemetery.

Sleepy Hollow is still an active public cemetery, so be on the lookout for cars and funerals. You will enter the cemetery near the Assessor’s Office on Court Street. Once there, how do you know what to look at and where to go? Don’t worry. The Town of Concord has created an interactive guided tour, and the QR code is on maps on display in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. You can peruse who is buried there and decide which graves you wish to visit as you make your way to the literary luminaries buried on Authors Ridge: Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. When your pilgrimage is complete, take the same route out of the cemetery. Then you are free to find a bite to eat downtown, shop for souvenirs or books, or make a mental note on your way out of town to book a hotel room to spend more time here.

If You Have a Full Day If you can spend a full day discovering Concord, visiting the Concord Museum perfectly complements the half-day of learning about Concord’s two revolutions

The April 19, 1775 gallery at Concord Museum

outlined above. The recently renovated museum has 18 galleries, including the April 19, 1775 gallery, the museum’s star exhibit.

On display in the center of the room is one of the two lanterns used as a signal to Paul Revere in the Old North Church on the night of April 18, 1775. While the sounds of the battle echo, a 12 by 7-foot map and media piece provides a birds-eye view of the events on April 19, 1775. Visitors can watch as 24 hours of history unfolds in six minutes!

Trust me; you will want to watch it. While you’re there, learn more about Concord’s literary revolution and see artifacts that belonged to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

If You Have a Weekend Naturally, spending a weekend in Concord allows you to discover almost everything!

After immersing yourself in the American and Literary Revolutions, you can spend a day taking guided tours of literary houses.

Virginia Road is where Thoreau Farm, the house where Henry David Thoreau was born, still stands today. Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House is located on Lexington Road and allows fans of the author to visit one of the homes she and her family

lived in in Concord. Bush, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s home, is just a half-mile down Lexington Road. Finally, the Old Manse is on Monument Street next to Minute Man National Historical Park. Here, you can learn about the American Revolution, the Literary Revolution, and the fascinating authors who spent time visiting or living at the Old Manse.

Finally, for some, a trip to Concord would not be complete without a visit to Walden Pond. If you want to be part of the transcendentalist walking club, you can take the Emerson-Thoreau Amble from Lexington Road to Walden Pond. It is about a two-mile hike. Just remember, you will have to walk the same distance back.

Hopefully, this sample of self-guided excursions in town whets your appetite to discover Concord. The historic sites in town cater to multiple interests and usually can please just about everyone in a family.

Choose to explore Concord the next time you travel and suffer from wanderlust no more!

——————————————————————————— Beth van Duzer is a public historian, owner of Concord Walking Tours, and the clerk for the Concord250 History & Education Subcommittee.

If you have more time Visit Lexington and Arlington. Click on the QR code for our special three-page

article on what to do in Lexington, MA, featuring ten historic and cultural sites you won’t want to miss. In Arlington, visit the Jason Russell House, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of April 19, 1775. The house has been restored and provides a fascinating glimpse into life in the 19th-century.

Reprinted from the Summer 2022 issue. Updated June 2024.

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By Any Other Name: The Pseudonyms of Louisa May Alcott

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BY JAN TURNQUIST Jan Turnquist and Max Chapnick on the steps of Orchard House

©Maria Powers

Madeleine Stern, Leona Rostenberg, and A. M. Barnard Madeleine’s biography of Louisa May Alcott is still the gold standard for many of us at Orchard House because her straightforward style never relies on sensationalism, and we’ve yet to find a single factual error in her superbly researched 1950’s book, Louisa May Alcott, A Biography. After long admiring Miss Stern as a consummate Alcott authority, I was privileged to meet Madeleine and her partner, Leona Rostenberg, when they were honored with The University of Connecticut’s life-time achievement award recognizing their significant contributions to the fields of bibliographic scholarship and rare book collecting.

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©Jennie Watters

Max Chapnick, of Northeastern University, has been in the news lately for possibly uncovering another of Louisa May Alcott’s pseudonyms. I was delighted to meet Max, not only to discuss his current work, but also to talk about the long, winding trail he followed to determine if Jo March’s thriller writing was something Alcott actually did. That trail begins in 1942 with Madeleine Stern and Leona Rostenberg, two of the most extraordinary women I’ve ever met.

On that occasion, I was asked to perform as Louisa May Alcott following the award presentation dinner where I was seated with them. Following my performance, as Madeleine and Leona were leaving, Madeleine said to me, “You are Louisa May Alcott! Louisa would have loved this!”

Inviting me to call any time, she jotted down her Leona Rostenberg, Jan phone number.

Turnquist (as Louisa Quite blown May Alcott), and Madeleine Stern away, I walked on air to my changing room.

The next day I called. “Miss Stern, this is Jan Turnquist,” I began. Before I could say more, Madeleine quipped, “You mean Louisa May Alcott!”

Thanking

her, I asked if I could quote her comment: “You are Louisa May Alcott.” She answered, “I just said it again, now when can you come to lunch?” Thus began a remarkable friendship. I made many trips to the stately upper East Side apartment the two shared. On my last visit, I was asked to stay with Madeleine in her final illness and was with her when she passed away.

Over the years I was privileged to hear so many wonderful stories. One of my favorites is best described in Madeleine’s own words: “A visit to an Alcott Collector in early 1942… propelled us on the rosy path to discovery. Carroll Atwood Wilson …was distinguished in every way, in the law that was his profession and in book collecting that was his hobby… (he) embraced thirteen authors, ranging from Emerson to Hawthorne, from Trollope to Hardy. Among his ‘representative men’ was one representative woman — Louisa May Alcott. Greeting us cordially, he enthusiastically showed us his signed volumes… manuscripts and letters… one

The Olive Branch was one othe papers that published Louisa’s thrillers.

©Jennie Watters

Max Chapnick at Louisa May Alcott’s desk

Barnard, or ‘any other man” to be responsible for, & if they suit me I will purchase them…

Let me hear from you. Very Truly Yours J. R. Elliot’… Now I knew the pseudonym… (and) the name of one of Miss Alcott’s … clandestine stories, V.V. (and) the name of the periodical that had carried it, The Flag of Our Union… three other letters mentioned

another title, The Marble Woman,… and it referred in glowing terms to yet another product of A. M. Barnard’s racy pen’… ‘Behind a Mask.’

Leona had found the smoking gun! She told me “I let out a war whoop in the sacred precincts of Houghton Library.”

Max Chapnick and E. H. Gould Because of Leona’s discovery, Max knew that Louisa wrote thrillers under pseudonyms, and from reading Madeleine’s introduction to a volume of Alcott thrillers, he knew that Louisa had written a story called The Phantom that had never been found.

Alone in his apartment one evening while using the American Antiquarian Society’s digital database, he found a story called The Phantom written by E. H. Gould.

At first Max didn’t think much of it, but hours later, haunted by that title, a thought struck him out of the blue: Could E. H. Gould be an Alcott pseudonym? Could this story be Louisa’s Phantom?

This question tantalized Max for a year and a half as he searched for corroboration. He spent countless hours at Harvard’s Houghton Library, where Leona had found her “smoking gun” evidence — alas, to no avail!

When talking about this quest with his good friend, Solan Kelleher, a reporting fellow at WBUR, Max wondered if the station might be interested in this story. Perhaps an Alcott expert or aficionado would be intrigued and help in his search for corroboration. Solan’s editors liked the idea and sent him to interview me and others. In the interview, I said that I felt open to the idea that E. H. Gould could be an Alcott pseudonym since the Gould story had elements that resonate with Alcott.

Although Max had published a scholarly article on The Phantom in J19: The Journal of Nineteenth Century Americanists, the WBUR broadcast was the first widely-heard mention of the E.H. Gould connection. In today’s world, it doesn’t take long for word to travel and for excited folks to weigh in,

Public domain

written by Aaron K. Loring around 1864 to Louisa… outlining his standards for popular literature. All three of us mused aloud about that arresting letter, and our musings prompted our host to say… ‘All of us know that Jo March wrote sensational stories and published them in secret. The three of us suspect that Louisa Alcott did the same thing over some pseudonym. . .

Miss Rostenberg…Why don’t you go ahead and discover Louisa’s pseudonym and the thrillers she wrote?’”

Madeleine continues, “Leona vividly recalls… the drama that followed at Harvard’s Houghton Library: ‘I … espied a small clutch of letters that seemed to belong together. As I picked up one of them, I immediately felt hot and cold and strangely faint. The letter was dated January 21, 1865.

It was addressed to ‘Dear Miss Alcott’ and it said: ‘You may send me anything… that you do not wish to ‘father,’ or that you wish A. M.

sometimes overstating the case. Max would, indeed, love to confirm that Gould is one of Louisa’s noms de plume, but he is still investigating and is very open to Alcott experts and other serious researchers weighing in. Max, who just received his doctorate, said recently “You don’t need a PhD to do this work.” He has also begun using other tools, such as a sophisticated computerized analysis system which uses algorithms to compare writing styles of known Alcott thrillers to the Gould piece.

Concerning the possibility of the Gould name being an Alcott pseudonym, I have expressed cautious optimism. Like Max I would love to know definitively that Gould is one of Louisa’s noms de plume. But also like Max, I really want the truth. Like Madeleine and Leona, Max has a sense of integrity and persistence which I admire. Perhaps you, Dear Reader, will help in this enterprise.

Stay tuned!

—————————————————————————— Jan Turnquist is executive director of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, an internationally acclaimed portrayer of Louisa May Alcott, historical consultant, and Emmy winner for her Orchard House documentary which airs and streams on PBS. Source: “A. M. Barnard”: Chapter 8, pp. 116-131, of Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion (New York: Doubleday, 1997)

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Telling Their Stories

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Historians, archivists, scholars, and others rely on the availability and accuracy of historical documents. Transcribing those documents is a vital step in ensuring that information is readily available. This is your chance to help by transcribing those records. You may even be the first person in 200 years to learn the stories of the men and women who helped found our nation! The National Park Service (NPS) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) are launching an extraordinary project to transcribe the pension records of more than 80,000 of America’s first veterans and their widows.

The project will make a permanent contribution to the historical record for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

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Summer is here! Warmer days and beautiful flowers call us outside to enjoy the fresh air.

And Concord’s restaurants are responding with inviting terraces, refreshing cocktails, and delicious foods to entice us to gather around the table al fresco style! With so many restaurants to choose from, we’ve put together highlights of some of our favorite places to watch the world go by while enjoying a delicious meal. Bon appétit!

Colonial Inn is a wonderful way to welcome summer!

Lobster Roll at The Colonial Inn Sip on rosé wine, an ice-cold beer, or grape leaves, cornichons, dried fruits and enjoy a tasty cocktail as you watch the world nuts, imported chocolates, and more. Freshly stroll by. concordscolonialinn.com made sandwiches put a gourmet spin on

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WOODS HILL TABLE - A rotating menu embraces the freshest harvest available, and is thoughtfully prepared to reflect the changing seasons. Pair your meal with a creative cocktail or a glass of wine for an exceptional evening out. Check the website for hours. woodshilltable.com

CONCORD’S COLONIAL INN - Lunch, dinner, or cocktails on the porch at the

THE CHEESE SHOP OF CONCORD – Fill out that picnic basket with charcuterie, stuffed

DEBRA’S NATURAL GOURMET – The amazing kitchen at Debra’s uses the freshest ingredients to bring you delicious foods to go, including soups, salads, entrees, sandwiches, wraps, organic smoothies, raw juices, luscious desserts, and more. Hours and menus at debrasnaturalgourmet.com

a picnic favorite. And delicious wines and beers will make your picnic picture perfect. concordcheeseshop.com

CONCORD TEACAKES – If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to go! Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, bars, and bundts will make your mouth water! You’ll also find breakfast treats, coffee and tea drinks, and sandwiches to go. Hours and menus at concordteacakes.com

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VERRILL FARM – A well-stocked cooler section features delicious salads and heat-athome options. Made to order sandwiches go perfectly with the bakery delights at the next counter over. Grab a chilled beverage and you are ready to enjoy an outside meal – they even have picnic benches overlooking this beautiful farmland. verrillfarm.com For a comprehensive list of restaurants in Concord, please see our “Where to Shop, Where to Eat” guide on page 41.

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Walden Pond

O

BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

One of the most important decisions we can make is where to spend our time – either on a visit, or when thinking about where to put down roots and build a family and community. One of the aspects of Concord that attracts so many people from around the world to come here – to spend time, or to stay – is the unique essence of ‘place.’ Surrounded by history, entrenched in natural beauty, and infused with culture, art, and constant opportunities to learn, Concord is a truly special place. Here are a few of our favorite places – we hope you will enjoy them as you continue to Discover Concord: THE CONCORD MUSEUM Here, you can experience the stories of the Indigenous peoples who lived here long before the first European settlers, learn about the people who shaped Concord during the colonial period, follow the debate around the issue of rebelling against England and the courage of those who rose up to fight in the American Revolution. Feel the passionate beliefs of the abolitionists, read the moving words of the transcendental writers, and immerse yourself in the world of the modern-day thought leaders, artists, and philosophers who continue to push Concord forward. Learn more at ConcordMuseum.org

Courtesy of Concord Museum

THE ARTS IN CONCORD Concord is home to a thriving art scene. In Concord Center, you will find multiple art galleries featuring classics to contemporary works.

The Umbrella Arts Center hosts more than 50 working studio artists, art classrooms, ceramic facilities, a dance studio, a stunning gallery space, a professional theatre company and two stages to accommodate their outstanding performances, as well as an outdoor sculpture garden Alice Rosa, with rotating exhibits. Neighboring October Sunshine 51 Walden is a historic venue for music, theatre, opera, and dance.

In West Concord, you will find the Concord Conservatory of Music, the Concord Youth Theatre, Art for All, and ArtScape with its multiple artist studios. Live music and concerts are featured throughout the year in a wide range of venues.

THE RALPH WALDO EMERSON HOUSE It is in this place that the Father of American Transcendentalism led a renaissance in American ideas in the 19th century. Here, he gathered friends such as Amos Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and others to explore the proper role of the individual in society, and to discover and celebrate the interrelation and sacredness of all

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THE ROBBINS HOUSE This early 19th century house was formerly inhabited by the firstgeneration descendants of formerly enslaved African American Revolutionary War

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THE OLD MANSE It’s amazing how much history is wrapped up in this handsome Georgian clapboard house on the banks of the Concord River. Built for Concord’s ‘patriot minister’ William Emerson, the home overlooks the North Bridge, where the famous battle on April 19, 1775, took place. Ralph Waldo Emerson and, later, Nathanial Hawthorne called this place home. Emerson penned his famous essay “Nature” here. And when Hawthorne brought his new bride, Sofia, to Concord, Henry David Thoreau planted an heirloom vegetable garden on the property to honor their wedding. You can palpably feel the history here as you walk the grounds or tour the house. TheTrustees.org/place/ the-old-manse

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SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY AT THE LOUISA MAY ALCOTT ORCHARD HOUSE “The Concord Summer School of Philosophy” was founded in 1879 by Amos Bronson Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Franklin Sanborn, and William Torrey Harris. One of the first adult summer schools in the United States, it was largely built upon the ideal of Plato’s Academy.

Robust discussions around the emerging philosophy of Transcendentalism were led here by the likes of Julia Ward Howe, William James, and Elizabeth Peabody among others. Hundreds of men and women would travel from across the U.S. and Europe each summer to attend lectures and open discussions of important intellectual, social, and cultural issues of the day. You can visit the school as part of a tour of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House – the beautifully preserved home where Louisa May Alcott lived when she penned the beloved novel Little Women.

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Courtesy of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House

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THE NORTH BRIDGE One cannot help but be inspired, standing on the North Bridge and contemplating the very first battles of the American Revolution.

Preserved as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, this hallowed ground witnessed “the shot heard ‘round the world” and the first steps in the formation of a new country. Each year on Patriots’ Day, tactical demonstrations and a patriot vigil honor the courage and sacrifice of those who stepped forward nearly 250 years ago. nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/north-bridge-visitor-center.htm

veteran Caesar Robbins, and by fugitive slave Jack Garrison. Caesar’s granddaughter, Ellen Garrison, was a passionate advocate for educating recently emancipated African Americans. She tested the nation’s first Civil Rights Act in 1866, just after its passage. The stories told here reveal many of the ways in which the first generations of free Concord African Americans pursued independence and contributed to the antislavery movement and the abolitionist cause. RobbinsHouse.org A fascinating self-guided tour of African American and antislavery history in Concord is available if you scan the QR Code

©istock.com/ LucasPacheco

life. His books, furniture, and objects from around the world are still on display here – inspiring a new generation of thinkers and philosophers.

Discover more at RalphWaldoEmersonHouse.org

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SLEEPY HOLLOW CEMETERY This final resting place of Concordians since 1855 is a beautiful place for contemplation. Designed as a natural “garden of the living” as much as a place to honor the dead, its graceful trails wind amongst tall trees.

Authors’ Ridge contains the graves of Concord’s most famous writers and thinkers, including Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Daniel Chester discoverconcordma.com

©Beth van Duzer

©Dave Witherbee

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Courtesy of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House

CONCORD’S RIVERS AND TRAILS The stunning beauty in and around Concord is a fundamental part of the attraction for so many who come here. Well maintained trails invite one to ‘Open all your pores and bathe in all the tides of Nature’ as Thoreau wrote about in his journal in 1853. The Japanese also have a similar expression, Shinrin Yoku, referring to the peaceful feeling that comes from spending time in nature and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The transcendentalists believed that nature was the path to the divine – and Concord provides many opportunities to seek that spiritual peace.

Nature can be explored by water as well! The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers are named as Wild and Scenic Rivers by federal law because they are such a treasure. You can rent a canoe or kayak at the South Bridge Boat House and discover these beautiful waterways in tranquility. Scan the QR code to find trail guides and river maps.

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French’s “Mourning Victory,” commissioned by James C. Melvin, honors the sacrifice of his three brothers lost in the Civil War (a replica can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City).

The sculptor himself is also buried here. Walking along, you’ll even find the graves of Ephraim Bull (he developed the Concord Grape), Frank Sanborn (member of the “Secret Six” who funded John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry), Katharine K. Davis (composer of “The Little Drummer Boy”), and many others.

Find an interactive tour here WALDEN POND One of the most iconic nature walks in the Concord area, Walden Pond provides an enchanting combination of ecology, literature, and history.

Walden ‘pond’ is actually a 102-footdeep kettle hole formed by a melting glacier more than 12,000 years ago. It is Massachusetts’ deepest natural body of fresh water. There are

several walking trails around Walden Pond, including side trails that will bring you to the site of the cabin where Henry David Thoreau famously spent two years, two months, and two days living simply in nature and discovering what it could teach him. In addition to several trail options, visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim or a (nonmotorized) boating adventure. The Walden Pond State Reservation is an extremely popular destination in the warm summer months.

To protect this precious natural resource, the park closes to the public once it reaches a set capacity – so please check the website for updates before heading out for your next adventure here. Mass.Gov/locations/ walden-pond-state-reservation THE WRIGHT TAVERN Located in the heart of Concord Center, this humble tavern built in 1747 has witnessed some of the most important moments in the history of the United States of America. In October of 1774, the founding fathers took the decision to rebel against the crown right here in the building, during the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

On the fateful day of April 19, 1775, area minutemen gathered here to plan their response to the impending arrival of the crown’s soldiers. Later that For more same day, Colonel Smith and Major opportunities to Pitcairn took over the Wright Tavern and Discover Concord, made it their de facto headquarters as scan here: their “regulars” searched the town for munitions. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1961, a concerted effort is now underway to restore the Wright Tavern to its original purpose as a gathering place for the sharing of stories over a pint. WrightTavern.org

Thoughtful Places – Where the Landscape Becomes a Canvas for Imagination

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A Midnight Stop on the Underground Railroad:

Shadrach Minkin’s Flight to Freedom Led Through Concord

I

It had rained that day in Boston, and now, even though the moon was full, there was little light in the sky as three men left Cambridge and headed for Concord. No, it wasn’t the midnight ride of Paul Revere, but another of unusual significance. For riding in a dark wagon was a fugitive from justice and two rescuers, unwilling to let another human being be returned to slavery. It was Saturday, Feb. 15, 1851.

The morning had started out as any other.

Shadrach Minkins, a waiter at the Cornhill Coffee Shop in Boston, had put on his apron and started work. What he didn’t know was that he would soon become a test case for the Fugitive Slave Act, a law enacted by Congress to keep Southern states from bolting.

Born into slavery in the port city of Norfolk, Virginia, Minkins had worked for various masters, having been sold three times. In the spring of 1850, around 30 years of age, he disappeared, escaping most likely as a stowaway on a merchant ship headed north.

Arriving in Boston, he joined a community of some 2,500 free blacks and formerly enslaved people. Considered a haven for those seeking their own emancipation, Boston would soon become the focus of federal agents and bounty hunters.

Mandating the return of all formerly enslaved people to their owners, the Fugitive Slave Act imposed stiff penalties of imprisonment and fines on anyone sheltering 34

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BY BEN JACQUES fugitive slaves. Further, state governments, local law officers, and even citizens were called on to aid in its enforcement.

If Minkins could be arrested in Boston, the hub of the abolitionist movement in the North, and returned to his owner, Southern states would see that Washington was protecting their interests, muting talk of secession. According to Gary Collison, who chronicles the fugitive’s story in Shadrach Minkins: From Fugitive Slave to Citizen, President Millard Fillmore and Secretary of State Daniel Webster had, themselves, approved Minkins’ capture.

Enacted in September of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act divided families, towns, political parties, and churches. As most governors, legislators, and clergy fell in line with the law, New England abolitionists voiced their opposition. In Boston, the Vigilance Committee, made up of Black and white abolitionists, warned of arrests and planned countermeasures.

Now, as Minkins waited tables in the restaurant, a federal marshal and eight officers took up positions outside the restaurant. After a considerable delay, waiting for the man who would identify their suspect, the marshal and one of his men entered the restaurant and ordered coffee.

They were served by a “stout, coppercolored man,” no other than the fugitive they sought, writes Collison.

When Minkins took the marshal’s payment to get change, two officers grabbed him under the arms, rushed out a back door, and dragged him into the courthouse a block away. They had been seen, however, and word quickly spread. Within minutes a crowd of abolitionists and onlookers filled Court Square. One of them was a formerly enslaved person from Kentucky, Lewis Hayden, now a clothing merchant and owner of a boarding house on Beacon Hill.

For several years, Hayden had been enslaved by Henry Clay, the senator and future architect of the Fugitive Slave Act. After seeing his siblings, then his wife and child sold, Hayden had fled with his second wife and her son to Philadelphia, then on to Canada. In 1846, Hayden brought his family to Boston. Lewis and Harriet Hayden became leaders in the abolitionist community, and their home on Southac Street, a station on the Underground Railroad.

As Shadrach Minkins awaited arraignment, abolitionists packed into the stairway and hallway outside the upstairs courtroom. After the judge arrived, federal officers presented evidence that the suspect was, in fact, a fugitive from Virginia and the property of a Norfolk businessman.

Meanwhile, the crowd inside and out became more agitated. Defense attorneys, including Richard Henry Dana, Jr., presented petitions for Minkins’ release. When they

Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library

Alfred Winslow Hosmer. Photograph from glass plate negative of home of Francis Edwin and Ann Bigelow (now 19 Sudbury Road), Concord.

keep his eyes open. Meanwhile, the Brooks, sympathetic neighbors, arrived.

After Minkins had eaten and rested, Francis found him warm clothes, but had no hat his size. But Nathan Brooks did. He promptly left and returned with “a hat of his own with which to disguise himself—the hat of a law-abiding citizen!”

Before dawn, Francis Bigelow led Minkins to his own wagon outside, and the blacksmith and fugitive drove west again, this time to a safe house in Leominster. From Leominster,

Courtesy of the State Library of Masachusetts

Lewis Hayden, Massachusetts state legislator in 1873.

Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library

were denied, Black activists led by Hayden forced their way into the courtroom, surrounded Minkins, and carried him “by the collar and feet” out to the street. Then, mixing in with the crowd, Hayden and Minkins scurried off towards Charles Street.

Turning quickly into a side street, Hayden took Minkins to the widow Elizabeth Riley, who hid him in her attic. Returning after dark, Hayden then took Minkins across the bridge to Cambridge and the home of the Rev. A. J. Lovejoy. He knew, however, that the fugitive could not stay there for long.

Later that night, Hayden returned to the minister’s home. This time he came in a wagon drawn by two horses, one black and one white. The wagon was driven by John J. Smith, a barber and fellow abolitionist.

Picking up Minkins, they headed west.

My guess is Hayden and Smith, dressed in oil-cloth and sou’esters, sat up front while Minkins lay covered by a tarpaulin in the bed of the wagon. They may have traveled on the Concord Turnpike, which was the most direct route, but which had several steep hills. Or they may have taken the old route through Lexington along Battle Road to Concord. Perhaps the rain had stopped by then and the moon was penetrating the cloud cover with faint light. Given the muddy roads, it must have been slow going.

About 3 a.m., Smith turned the horses onto Main Street in Concord. Proceeding through the sleeping town, they then angled left onto Sudbury Road and entered the yard of the blacksmith, Francis Bigelow. Hearing the wagon, Francis got out of bed and went to the door. Francis’ wife, Ann, who was unwell, may have looked out the upstairs window, for it was she who noted the color of the horses. Years later, Ann would tell the story to Edward Waldo Emerson, Harriet Robinson, and others, accounts found in the Concord Free Public Library.

“Mr. Bigelow, hearing the carriage, opened his door, and let in the poor fugitive [and his escorts], though the penalty was a thousand dollars, and six months’ imprisonment, for ‘aiding and abetting’ a slave to escape. The blinds of the house were at once shut, and the windows darkened, to evade the notice of any passers-by.”

As Ann told it, the Bigelows then warmed the fugitive and brought him into their own bedroom, where Ann served breakfast, using the bureau for a table. Minkins, worn by anxiety and lack of sleep, could barely

Photograph of Ann Bigelow in later years

Minkins was transported to Fitchburg, where he boarded a train to Montreal.

For Minkins, the flight to Canada was a continuation of a life in exile. Separated from his family in Virginia, he joined a small community of former slaves in Montreal. He got a job as a waiter, saved his money, and opened his own restaurant. Later, he set up a barbershop.

Over time, he married and had four children. He never returned to the United States. He was the first runaway slave arrested in Boston under the Fugitive Slave Act, but not the last.

Meanwhile, Minkins’ rescuers returned to Boston. As Ann Bigelow recalled: “Mr. Hayden and Mr. Smith drove leisurely to Sudbury, stopped with friends there, went to church, and, after a good dinner, returned unmolested to Boston.”

Hayden did not, however, escape prosecution. One of several abolitionists charged with aiding and abetting Minkins’ escape, Hayden was acquitted after a jury— which included none other than Francis Bigelow himself—would not convict.

For years after, Lewis and Harriet Hayden continued their militant opposition to the Fugitive Slave Act, hiding and transporting fugitives and raising money. Lewis joined the black Masonic lodge created by Prince Hall, and later served in the state legislature.

He also led a successful effort to integrate Boston schools and campaigned for women’s rights.

During the Civil War, Hayden helped to convince his friend, Governor John Andrew, to form a Black regiment and actively recruited soldiers for the Massachusetts 54th.

Today, you can visit the Hayden home, a site on the Black Heritage Trail on Beacon Hill. And in Concord, you can still find the house on the Underground Railroad, where the Bigelows opened their doors to Shadrach Minkins and his escorts 173 years ago.

——————————————————————————— A writer and former English professor, Ben Jacques delves into our collective past to retell stories of men and women of courage and resilience. He is the author of In Graves Ummarked, Slavery and Abolition in Stoneham, Mass. and If the Shoe Fits: Stories of Stoneham Then and Now. His articles appeared recently in The Boston Globe and Worcester Magazine. He lives with his wife in Stoneham.

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Right as Rail: Take a trip through West Concord on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

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BY CARLENE HEMPEL

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

Laura Davis rides her “cargo bike” through West Concord Village on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

She uses the trail to access everything from her doctor to her son’s school.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail winds its way through West Concord Village past the MBTA staton and the Club Car Cafe.

All photos ©Carlene Hempel

Laura Davis laughs as she ticks off all the ways she’s built her family’s life around the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Concord.

“I basically moved everything in my life to West Concord so I could get to it on a bike,” said the 35-year-old Concord resident. “So, my dentist, my doctor, the barber, we do most of our shopping at Debra’s or Trader Joe’s. We use the bike path to go to Staples. I am coming here with my husband on the bike tonight for a date night at Wood’s Hill Table” restaurant.

Davis, who lives near Verrill Farm and rides a “cargo bike,” which has a large carrying bin installed over the front wheel, is one of thousands of people who have relished the construction of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail through Concord starting at the bridge over Rte. 2 near Acton and continuing just before White Pond in West Concord.

About 20 miles long so far, the trail begins in Lowell, travels through Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, and Acton before it runs through Concord and by this fall will A bike repair end just north of Rte. 20 station stands in Sudbury. It’s still under year-round design in parts of Sudbury just outside the center of and Framingham and will West Concord total about 25 miles when Village. it’s completed.

Features of the Concord portion of the trail include stops at the newly constructed Gerow Park near Warner’s Pond, which includes walking trails and a pavilion, and West Concord Village, which has everything from quaint shops and restaurants to galleries, a library, a natural foods store, a performing arts center, conservatory, and an MBTA train station. Soon, the trail will travel along the White Pond Reservation area as it winds into Sudbury. Along the way are benches, bike racks, a bike share site, and a bike repair station.

Kim Kelly, a resident of Brookside Square apartments on Beharrell Street in West Concord, walks 10 miles on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail every day. “I love it,” she said on a recent breezy May morning. “I call it the cheapest gym membership in town.” She also loves how multi-generational the trail is. “It’s very family friendly. What I love is there are always teenagers on it. It’s really inspiring. They could be inside playing video games.”

Davis, who had just dropped her 6-year-old son at Concord Montessori School on Domino Drive and was peddling to a Transportation Advisory Committee meeting where she serves as a volunteer, said she sees this leg of the BFRT as vital to the vision of a connected Concord. “We don’t have a lot of long, continuous, safe places for people to walk and bike separated from traffic,” she said from the center of the Junction Park gardens, next to favorite breakfast stop Club Car Café. “As a cyclist who uses the bike for transportation, I need that path to get [around] safely.”

———————————————————————————————— Carlene Hempel is a resident of West Concord.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail travels through the beautiful gardens of West Concord Village’s Junction Park.

T H R E E S T O N E S G A L L E RY A LY N C A R L S O N Represented Artist

Alyn Carlson is a multi-faceted artist working in a wide variety of media. Her phenomenal sense of color and texture transports you to a world of wonder.

We invite you to explore Alyn’s stunning work at our gallery. Please check our website for the dates of upcoming shows and receptions.

32 Main Street n Concord, MA 978.371.1333 n threestonesgallery.com follow us @threestonesgallery xx Alyn Carlson, Walk with Me #624, watercolor, 6x6

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WHERE TO STAY

CONCORD & Surrounding Areas WHERE TO SHOP

Acton The Bee’s Knees British Imports First Rugs

566 Massachusetts Ave 13 Great Rd

Concord Center Albright Art Supply Artinian Jewelry Artisans Way Barrow Bookstore Best of British Blue Dry Goods Bobbi Benson Antiques Brine Sporting Goods The Cheese Shop Comina Concord Bookshop Concord Lamp and Shade Concord Market The Concord Toy Box Concord Walking Tours Copper Penny Flowers The Dotted i Fairbank & Perry Goldsmiths FatFace Footstock Fritz & Gigi French Lessons George Vassel Jewelry Gräem Nuts and Chocolate Grasshopper Shop Irresistibles J McLaughlin Jack + Toba Lucy Lacoste Gallery Nesting North Bridge Antiques Patina Green Priscilla Candy Shop Revolutionary Concord Rewind Estate Watches Sara Campbell Ltd Tess & Carlos Thistle Hill Thoreauly Antiques Three Stones Gallery Vanderhoof Hardware Walden Liquors Walden Street Antiques

32 Main St 39 Main St 18 Walden St 79 Main St 29 Main St 16 Walden St 25 Walden St 69 Main St 29 Walden St 9 Walden St 65 Main St 21 Walden St 77 Lowell Rd 32 Main St 79 Main St 9 Independence Court 1 Walden St 32 Main St 4 Walden St 46 Main St 79 Main St 8 Walden St 40 Main St 49 Main St 36 Main St 16 Walden St 14 Walden St 10 Walden St 25 Main St 44 Main St 28 Walden St 59 Main St 19 Walden St 32 Main St 38 Main St 41 Main St 81 Main St 13 Walden St 25 Walden St 32 Main St 28 Main St 18 Walden St 23 Walden St

Concord Farms Barrett’s Mill Farm Hutchins Farm Marshall Farm The Walden Woods Project Farm Verrill Farm

449 Barrett’s Mill Rd 754 Monument Street 171 Harrington Ave 1047 Concord Tpke 11 Wheeler Rd

Thoreau Depot ATA Cycles Concord Provisions Frame-ables Juju Period Furniture Hardware

93 Thoreau St 75 Thoreau St 111 Thoreau St 82 Thoreau St 113 Thoreau St

West Concord Barefoot Books Belle on Heels Bloom Floral Studio Clay Art + Concept Concord Firefly Concord Flower Shop Concord Outfitters Debra’s Natural Gourmet Doe + Fawn Joy Street Life + Home Lawless Upholstery Loveday Potager Soap Company Puck and Abby Reflections Vintages West Concord Wine & Spirits

23 Bradford St 23 Commonwealth Ave 10 Commonwealth Ave 114 Commonwealth Ave 33 Commonwealth Ave 135 Commonwealth Ave 113 Commonwealth Ave 98 Commonwealth Ave 105 Commonwealth Ave 49 Commonwealth Ave 119 Commonwealth Ave 115 Commonwealth Ave 152 Commonwealth Ave 84a Commonwealth Ave 101 Commonwealth Ave 53 Commonwealth Ave 1215 Main St

WHERE TO EAT Concord Center Caffè Nero Comella’s Concord’s Colonial Inn Fiorella’s Cucina Haute Coffee Helen’s Restaurant Main Streets Market & Café Sally Ann’s Bakery & Food Shop

55 Main St 33 Main St 48 Monument Square 24 Walden St 12 Walden St 17 Main St 42 Main St 73 Main St

Thoreau Depot 80 Thoreau Bedford Farms Ice Cream Dunkin’ Farfalle Italian Market Café Karma Concord Asian Fusion New London Style Pizza Sorrento’s Brick Oven Pizzeria Starbucks

80 Thoreau St 68 Thoreau St 117 Thoreau St 26 Concord Crossing 105 Thoreau St 71 Thoreau St 58 Thoreau St 159 Sudbury Rd

West Concord Adelita Club Car Café Concord Teacakes Dino’s Kouzina & Pizzeria Dunkin’ Nashoba Brook Bakery Saltbox Kitchen Walden Italian Kitchen West Village Tavern Woods Hill Table

1200 Main St 20 Commonwealth Ave 59 Commonwealth Ave 1135 Main St 1191 Main St 152 Commonwealth Ave 84 Commonwealth Ave 92 Commonwealth Ave 13 Commonwealth Ave 24 Commonwealth Ave

WHERE TO STAY Concord Center Concord’s Colonial Inn North Bridge Inn

48 Monument Sq 21 Monument Sq

West Concord Residence Inn by Marriott

320 Baker Ave

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Revolutionary Concord Concord Revolutionary & The Concord Toy Box Box & The Concord Toy

North Bridge Bridge Antiques Antiques North Patina Green Green Patina

LandVest LandVest Nesting Nesting

Fiorella’s Cucina Cucina Fiorella’s Inkstone Architects Inkstone Architects

Concord’s Colonial Colonial Inn Inn Concord’s Fairbank & & Perry Perry Goldsmiths Goldsmiths Fairbank

Concord Players Players Concord Concord Walking Walking Tours Tours Concord

Compass Real Real Estate Estate Compass The Concord Bookshop The Concord Bookshop

Bobbi Benson Benson Antiques Antiques Bobbi The Cheese Cheese Shop Shop The

Barrett Sotheby’s Sotheby’s Int’l Int’l Realty Realty Barrett Barrow Bookstore Bookstore Barrow

Artinian Jewelry Jewelry Artinian Artisans Way Artisans Way

Featured Businesses

THOREAU DEPOT Points of Interest A

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Debra’s Natural Gourmet Dunkin’ (two locations) Puck and Abby Reflections Verrill Farm Vintages West Concord Wine & Spirits Woods Hill Table

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North Bridge Visitor Center 174 Liberty St Old Hill Burying Ground 2-12 Monument Sq The Old Manse 269 Monument St Ralph Waldo Emerson House 28 Cambridge Turnpike The Robbins House 320 Monument St Sleepy Hollow Cemetery & Authors Ridge 120 Bedford St South Burying Ground Main St & Keyes Rd Walden Pond State Reservation 915 Walden St The Wayside 455 Lexington Rd The Wright Tavern 2 Lexington Rd

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CELEBRATING JERRY WEDGE

Jerry Wedge, esteemed Executive Director of The Umbrella Arts Center, is stepping down from his role after an incredible 12-year tenure. Under Jerry’s leadership, The Umbrella has not only endured but thrived, successfully navigating the construction of its new state-of-the-art facility and the unprecedented challenges brought about by the global pandemic.

Throughout his tenure, Jerry’s dedication, vision, and tireless efforts have solidified The Umbrella as a vibrant hub for the arts in Metro West and Greater Boston. And he has enriched our entire community through service to the Concord Public School Committee, Concord-Carlisle Regional School Committee, Concord Center Cultural District Task Force, Concord 250, Economic Vitality & Tourism Advisory Group, and more.

THE WEDGE FUND In recognition of Jerry’s remarkable commitment and contributions, The Umbrella has established The Wedge Fund— endowment funds dedicated to ensuring the ongoing vitality and sustainability of The Umbrella’s facility well into the future.

We invite you to join us in honoring Jerry Wedge’s extraordinary legacy by contributing to The Wedge Fund, in support of the future of The Umbrella Arts Center for generations to come.

TheUmbrellaArts.org/Wedge | 978.371.0820 x201 Email katie@theumbrellaarts.org

Photo by Pierre Chiha; Art work by Jerry Wedge

TWELVE YEARS OF LEADERSHIP

©Gretchen Ertl

Mass Audubon all persons trail

Making Nature Accessible for All

W We take for granted that nature—and the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits that it provides—should be available to everyone. But for people who have mobility challenges, use wheelchairs, or are pushing heavy strollers, nature trails over rough terrain can be anything but a walk in the park.

As the largest conservation organization in New England, Mass Audubon has spent the last decade playing a leading role in putting nature within reach of everyone at their wildlife sanctuaries across the state.

Universally designed, accessible All Persons Trails pave the way for people of all abilities to experience the wonders of nature.

Mass Audubon’s seventeenth All Persons Trail opened last fall at Brewster’s Woods Wildlife Sanctuary in Concord.

When Brewster’s Woods was donated 46

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BY RENATA POMPONI

to Mass Audubon in 2018, the beauty of the sanctuary – 130 acres of woodland, meadows, and marshland along the banks of the Concord River – was immediately apparent. But the original trails that wandered through the property were narrow and rough, with steep, eroded sections that made travel difficult.

Thanks to the work of Appalachian Mountain Club’s professional trail crew and Mass Audubon’s accessibility consultants, the new Fisher Trail features a firm, stable surface of crushed stone and gentle grades across the rolling terrain. As one of the few accessible trails in Concord, this 1.2-mile roundtrip trail provides access to nature experiences and wildlife observation spots that might otherwise be off-limits. The trail winds through each of the main habitats of the sanctuary: forest, field, and wetland.

Frequent seating opportunities provide a space to rest, take in your surroundings, and observe the plentiful wildlife.

Exploring the Fisher Trail provides a view of the Concord landscape – fields edged by rock walls and forests leading down to a wide expanse of river – that feels like going back in time, reflecting the unique history of the property. This historic site was formerly part of the country homestead of William Brewster (1851-1919), an early leader in American ornithology and curator at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. In 1891, Brewster purchased October Farm in Concord as a respite from his city life in Cambridge. Here he embarked on extensive fieldwork, taking full advantage of the forest, meadows, and abundant wetlands on the banks of the Concord River.

Brewster’s legacy of conservation was greatly influenced by his time in Concord, a period in which he purposefully chose to put down his rifle (the common means at the time for obtaining bird specimens for study) and to pick up his binoculars.

This time also aligned with his role as the first President of Mass Audubon from 1896 to 1913, working with founders Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall to enact legislation prohibiting the killing of songbirds for ornamental purposes.

Brewster made extensive records of the wildlife that he saw on the property, including many species which are still present today. A highlight of the journey for birders and all nature fans is the impoundment, a marshy area created by Brewster in the early 1900s to provide habitat for migrating waterfowl. Mallards and Great Blue Herons are often seen gliding over the marsh. Native shrubs like pepperbush form thickets along the waterline that are also great hiding spots for small mammals and the occasional beaver.

On sunny days, turtles can often be seen basking on logs. Wooden nesting boxes in the impoundment – homes for Wood Ducks

©Mass Audubon

Great Blue Heron at Brewster’s Woods

– have been monitored for decades along the Concord River and beyond by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

After his passing in 1919, Brewster’s land was divided and sold to different owners.

His obituary, written by Henry Wetherbee Henshaw for the birders’ journal The Auk, noted how much his Concord estate meant to him. In fact, he worried that “all the interest in his Concord place was destined to lapse when he was through with it.” It also noted that he often “discussed its availability for a duck or game breeding place, or for a bird refuge.” Decades later, Concord residents Nancy and Reinier Beeuwkes saw the opportunity to protect the land forever.

Wanting everyone to experience the beauty of Brewster’s landscape, they donated

©Mass Audubon

Stone walls on the Fisher Trail

the land to Mass Audubon, protecting the property from residential development and ensuring that Brewster’s dream of conserving the land would be possible more than 100 years after his death.

Today, Brewster’s Woods is a shining example of both the importance of protecting our wild places and the ability of history to shape our current decisions and understanding about land use. What better way to celebrate that legacy than by ensuring that the beauty and enjoyment of nature are available to all.

Brewster’s Woods Wildlife Sanctuary is located off Balls Hill Road in Concord. The trails are open each day from dawn to dusk, and visitors can download a digital map and self-guided tour from the sanctuary website at massaudubon.org/brewsterswoods.

The Fisher Trail begins at the parking area and is clearly marked.

————————————————————————— Renata Pomponi is Mass Audubon’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, leading the development of new wildlife sanctuaries and urban greenspaces across Massachusetts as well as advancing the organization’s strategic priorities around land protection, climate change, and biodiversity. Her conservation philosophy looks for the spaces in between disciplines— the ways in which nature and people interconnect—so that Mass Audubon’s sanctuaries can continue to be a place where children and adults are inspired to explore, discover, and think about the world in new ways.

Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

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Lights! Camera! Action! A New Film Stars Concord’s Own Ellen Garrison

©Voyager Publishing

When history and inspiration collide, great things happen. And so, when Jennifer Burton and Julie Dobrow, founders of the “Half the History” project at Tufts University, heard the amazing story of Concord’s Ellen Garrison, they knew they had found the perfect subject for their project series, which places a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women and their important contributions to society.

Ellen Garrison: Scenes From an Activist Life portrays one such inspirational story At the young age of 12, Ellen chose to march in Concord’s 1835 bicentennial parade.

She was the only black child known to A scene from the film, depicting a meeting of do so. As a young adult, Ellen became the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society. a schoolteacher dedicated to studying disciplines educating newly ranging from freed African costume design, to Americans. She child development, also served as a to computer powerful activist science. around local and Recreating a 19th national demands century parade with for civil rights for all more than 100 cast people. members in modern Ellen was the day Concord is no first person to easy task. But the challenge the community here Civil Rights Act of eagerly jumped 1866 in court, after in to help support she was forcibly such a worthy ejected from a project. Production Actor Shy’Kira Allen, Poet Sam Williams, segregated waiting took place all and Pasadena city leader Veronica Jones room in a Baltimore around the town celebrate the life of Ellen Garrison at a train station.

– from the School Concord event in April.

She carefully of Philosophy (at documented the the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House) to the experience to support a petition to the court Concord Armory to the Minute Man National for her rights. Although the Maryland court Historical Park. That required a complex dismissed her case, Ellen’s bravery blazed a web of permitting, location set up, moving trail for civil rights at an important moment equipment around, coordinating actors and in history. costumes, and even feeding a large team. All Julie and Jennifer set out to tell the story of that was done by the students, creating of Ellen’s impact on the world through film. a real-world experience that would make a The project brought together Tufts students deep impression on their education.

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©Allie Humenuk

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BY JENNIFER C. SCHÜNEMANN

“So many people and organizations were incredibly helpful as we put this idea together. From historian Bob Gross to the teams at the Concord Museum and at The Robbins House. The Concord Players, Beth Norton (music director at Concord’s First Parish Church) who wrote the film score, and the cast of the Thoreau walking play were all involved. Jan Turnquist at Orchard House, the National Park Service, the team at the Armory, and even members of local Minute Man companies, and so many others were integral to the production. We are truly grateful,” said Jennifer.

“Watching history come alive is a deeply rewarding part of what we do,” said Julie. “To film the scene recreating the meeting of the Concord female anti-slavery society at The Robbins House - using words pulled from documented sources that these amazing women truly spoke – was a powerful experience. We are honored to be able to share the story of Ellen Garrison with the world. She truly exemplified what it means to stand up for your rights and for the rights of others.”

The first screening of the film took place at Concord’s Umbrella Arts Center on June 8, 2024. For more information, or to see a trailer of the film, please visit HalfTheHistory.org

Hello from Barefoot Books Your favorite global publisher based in Concord, MA

Passionate about getting books into the hands that need them most?

Become a Community Bookseller!

Share global, diverse books for young children with your community Learn more at barefootbooks.com/cb or send us an email at communitybookseller@barefootbooks.com

Host a fundraiser, book fair, parents’ night out, & more in our colorful space!

Stop by and shop!

Visit our space and shop from our collection of books for ages 0–12 23 Bradford Street, Floor 2, Concord MA Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm

Learn more at barefootbooks.com/ local-events or send us an email at localevents@barefootbooks.com

S

All photos ©Gary Graham Designs

History Inspires Fashion at The Old Manse

BY MARYBETH KELLY Stories, if well-told, can inspire. Tours of historic sites, like those in Concord, are fertile grounds for inspiration. So it was for Gary Graham, an American fashion designer and artist who visited The Old Manse Museum in 2023.

I had the pleasure of introducing Gary to the museum in a tour entitled, Flipping The Script: The Women of The Old Manse. What followed was the launch of his collection entitled, Tnumarya’s Object Lessons of The Old Manse. The name is derived from Ralph Waldo Emerson who referred to his beloved Aunt Mary Moody Emerson with the anagram, Tnumarya.

Manse is a Scottish word meaning home of the minister. Concord’s Old Manse was built for the Rev. William Emerson and his family in 1770 after he became the town’s minister.

The same famous family, whose grandson, Ralph Waldo, wrote his seminal piece, Nature, at the manse in 1834, lived there until 1939.

Purchased by The Trustees of Reservations that year, the museum home has been open to the public since 1940.

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After studying fashion, performance art and painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Gary worked for fashion designer J. Morgan Puett and for Director Julie Taymor as a costume designer on projects

like the award-winning Lion King where he used some of the techniques and skills he still employs like garment dying and cutting.

He started his business in 2000, and in 2009 he established his flagship store and studio in downtown New York’s Tribeca neighborhood. There he achieved an instant cult following including Helena Bonham Carter and Parker Posey.

In 2017 he closed his NYC business and relocated to rural upstate New York where he re-launched his line as GaryGraham422.

(422 refers to the street address of his boutique and design studio.) There he endeavored to create hand-finished, small-batch garments using antique textiles and custom jacquards. In 2021, Gary was featured as a finalist on season two of the TV series, Making the Cut. In a recent interview, I spoke to Gary about his experience visiting The Old Manse.

“I’m not an historian, but have always had an interest. I wondered, ‘What was it like growing up in this home?’ The stories of the women really inspired me,” he said. “I kept

thinking about the difficulty of the multi-tasking world of these women.” In her journal, Mary Moody Emerson described the home’s grandfather clock as “witness to the grief of widows and the relentless hand of female order.”

“How did these women from that time emerge as independent and creative thinkers?” he wondered.

Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley, who married into the Emerson family and occupied The Manse beginning in 1846, was one such independent thinker. A contemporary of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, she was a superior intellectual, self-educated teacher and botanist. Her specimens can be seen at Harvard’s Natural History Museum. She was a women denied entry to Harvard by being born female. Yet she became known as one of the greatest Harvard professors who never attended.

Rusticants, as they were called, or boys who were failing academically, were sent to the rustic countryside, to Sarah, to be tutored back to Harvard.

Inspired by her botanical pressings, Gary created stunning designs called Botanical

Dark and Botanical Light. “I wanted to show the shadow side of classification. The hooded cloaks are not intended to hide,” said Gary, “but to create intrigue.”

“These are not period pieces,” he said. “I’m not producing a history lesson but creating garments inspired by the research.”

Although not gender-neutral, Gary’s pieces, made with women in mind, draw a wide and diverse audience. “Like many queer little boys, I sometimes liked to dress in skirts and dresses when I was young.”

Figures from his childhood imagination emerged and laid the groundwork for his artistic career allowing for an expansive and creative framework.

Consider his fashions inspired from the 1770 bull’s eye windows above the front entry door of The Old Manse.

He described seeing them as a time-travelled experience. The design inspiration took him from the camera lense, to a distorted digital print, to quilted analog. “The distortion of the bull’s eye was a way of expressing an ability to see things through someone else’s eyes, to consider another point of view,” he explained. Stunning, blue-hued cloaks and tunics emerged.

“I’m drawn to humble objects, like those we hide in the attic or put on display.” From this came “Bracket,” a sweater design inspired by a simple, Victorian-era bookshelf holder.

Humble is a word I would use to describe Gary. At the height of popularity, he moved from the glitz of Manhattan to the Catskills, to live, as a famous Concordian would describe, “deliberately.” When asked what he liked most about life in Franklin, New York, he said, “the light.” His clothing reflects his interest in history, storytelling, and the roles of women in society. I believe the women of The Old Manse would be well-pleased.

For more information about tours at The Old Manse, including Flipping the Script: The Women of The Old Manse, visit their website at TheTrustees.org/theoldmanse For more information about Gary Graham Designs, visit his website at GaryGraham422.com —————————————————————————— Marybeth Kelly is an historic interpreter at The Old Manse Museum for The Trustees of Reservations. She is author of Flipping the Script: The Women of The Old Manse and resides in her beloved Concord.

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The Tale of Concord’s Barrow Bookstore

W Welcome, dear readers, to the story of The Barrow Bookstore, a unique shop featuring rare and gently-read books down the lane at 79 Main Street, Concord, Massachusetts.

For 54 years, the Barrow has been owned by three generations of women whose passion for history and literature personify Louisa May Alcott’s quote, “She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain.” Each owner has been embedded in the history of Concord, and we invite you now to come back in time to the beginning of Barrow’s tale; secrecy is of the essence, so quickly and quietly mount your horses and hold on.

Boston, April 18, 1775, near midnight: We are galloping in the wind next to solitary rider William Dawes. A tanner by trade, tonight, Dawes is an Express rider sent from Boston by patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren to carry an urgent message to Lexington and Concord: The King’s troops are on the march, headed to Lexington where they will likely arrest patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock before pushing on to Concord to search the town.

Afraid that Dawes will be stopped, Warren sends Paul Revere on a different route to carry the same message.

We make it with Dawes to Lexington where he meets Revere and races on towards Concord. In Lincoln, Revere is captured in a trap, but Dawes escapes into the night and we fade into the mists of time 52

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with him and down his family tree until the 1960s when Claiborne Watkins and her husband, William Dawes — 4th great-grandson of the midnight rider— are walking through London. Along the River Thames, Claiborne saw a section of road lined with wooden wheelbarrows filled with books for sale. Recalls Claiborne, “The booksellers called them ‘Book Barrows’; I loved the idea.”

When Claiborne returned home to Concord, she rented the old train depot on Thoreau Street from Ernie Verrill (brother of Steve Verrill of Verrill Farms). Here, with her business partner Betty Woodward, Claiborne opened the Barrow Bookstore, and placed a Victorian wheelbarrow outside. The bookshop opened on July 12, 1971, on Henry David Thoreau’s 154th birthday.

Claiborne recounts that “We bought as many Concord books as we could to try and keep the town’s history front and center.”

Remembers Claiborne, “One of my most exhilarating moments was finding a little pamphlet, no more than 30 pages. On the title page I read the name of the printer, B. Franklin, Philadelphia, and I almost fell over! I was holding one of the surviving books published

by Benjamin Franklin.”

Within Barrow Bookstore’s first decade, space was becoming an issue. Mr. Emerson’s lengthy orations were crowding other

All images courtesy of Barrow Bookstore

BY JAIMEE LEIGH JOROFF

books, and Winnie the Pooh stories were politely requesting a shelf farther away from Hawthorne’s gothic New England tales whose judgmental puritans were distressing to Piglet. Claiborne thought, “Who can I ask if they have a space for the Barrow Bookstore?

I immediately thought of Fritz Kussin,” Louisa May Alcott’s great-great-nephew who owned a building on Main Street. As a descendant of the Alcotts, Claiborne figured Fritz would share a love for Concord authors. And she was right; the move to 79 Main Street began.

Claiborne’s husband built the bookshelves

President of the Greater Boston chapter of the Dickens Fellowship.

In 2013, ownership of the bookstore passed from Pam to Aladdine, who continued the legacy of fine book acquisitions and expanded the store’s rare collection. Drawn by the magnetism of Concord’s seemingly ever-present six degrees of separation of people and history, into Barrow came treasures including documents of mutinous ships lost at sea; a letter written by the Revolutionary War’s “Irish Lafayette” before his hand was cut off in a death-pact with his wife; original draft pages written by Thoreau and Emerson describing epic Norsemen and duels in the dark; pirated editions of Alcott’s Little Women; and a Pamela Fenn (L) and Claiborne signed, aluminum bound, fire resistant copy Dawes (R), the second and first of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury whose owners of Barrow Bookstore. ancestor was accused of witchcraft by Betty Paris (now buried in Concord’s Old Hill mother to the store, sitting in the window Burying ground) and sentenced to hang and reading for hours. by the Salem witch trial judge ancestors of Growing up in Concord, Aladdine (whose Alcott and Hawthorne. (Adventure into some name came from a crystal-ball-readingof these books’ backstories at YouTube.com/ fortune teller Nancy had visited in Ireland BarrowBookstore). in the 1960s) lived in an historic house Today, all staff at the bookshop are past or once occupied by Concord’s 19th-century present historic interpreters at many of the bookseller Henry Whitcomb, and worked Concord sites. Readers far and wide have as a tour guide at Orchard House, The Old befriended the bookstore through visits and Manse, and the Wayside. Like Louisa May online; many come for a book and leave Alcott, her favorite authors include Charles with a community. In addition to providing a Dickens, leading her to work for a time at the wide selection of books and literary gifts, the Dickens Museum in London. Today she is the bookstore is a literary museum, with displays of special books that you can view or acquire.

Says Aladdine, “Whether it is a paperback or a first edition book, at the end of the day, the Barrow Bookstore’s most valuable stories are those of our reader friends; as Emerson said, ‘’tis the good reader that makes the good book.’”

For a list of sources, email barrowbookstore@gmail.com.

——————————————————— A Concord native, Jaimee Joroff is manager of the Barrow Bookstore in Concord Center, which specializes in Concord history, transcendentalism, and literary figures. She has been an interpreter at most of Paddington Bear (R) of London, and Dr. Laura Dassow Walls (L) author of Thoreau: A Life, and Concord’s historic sites and is a Barrow Bookstore team member & Concord Barrow Bookstore owner Aladdine Joroff (R) view a Thoreau licensed town guide.

Walking Tours Owner Beth Van Duzer (L) manuscript page in Barrow Bookstore’s rare collection. that still line the walls of the bookshop, and added a glass case that ironically held a first edition of Longfellow’s Tales of a Wayside Inn, containing the rhythmic, but inaccurate, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” which left out his ancestor, rider William C. Dawes.

In 1981, Pamela Fenn moved to Massachusetts where her ancestors had stepped off the Mayflower in 1620. Pam’s favorite writer is Nathaniel Hawthorne, and on her first day here, before unpacking, Pam visited The Old Manse where Hawthorne had lived from 1842-45. Says Pam, “A tour guide at the Manse told me about the Barrow Bookstore, and I went straight from the Manse to the Barrow.”

There she met Claiborne and, like many visitors, felt right at home. For the next seven years, Pam worked at the Old Manse as a tour guide and then as the Museum Director. Having worked at a bookstore in College, Pam’s dream was to own a bookstore and when Claiborne and Betty were ready to retire, Pam purchased the Barrow Bookstore.

For the next 26 years, Pam curated the store’s collection of books from all genres and for all ages, ranging from reading to collector copies (such as first editions of Walden, Little Women, and more). Pam’s staff included Nancy Joroff, a teacher and former Director of Education at the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House. Nancy’s young daughter Aladdine often accompanied her

Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

53

For 34 1/2 years, Concord’s neighborhood grocer for:

• organic + local produce

• vitamins, supplements,

• staff that knows, and helps

• scratch kitchen

and herbal wellness

• the largest selection of bulk / “zero waste”

• pastured meats

• gluten-free, vegan, etc.

in Massachusetts

• healthy lunchbox

• clean bodycare

• sustainable sushi

• exotic + international

• pioneering awesomeness

• standards and ethics on every shelf

98 Commonwealth Ave. Concord, MA 01742 | debrasnaturalgourmet.com | 978-371-7573 | Open 7 days a week | Parking behind the store

Mexican cuisine you’ll love – made fresh with sustainably sourced, local ingredients Enjoy dining in our festive restaurant and bar OUR PATIO IS OPEN Dinner Tues-Sat 4:30pm to 9:00pm Sun. 4:30pm to 8:00pm Lunch Tuesday-Friday 12:00pm to 2:00pm Catering and private events also available Learn more at adelitaconcord.com 1200 Main Street – Concord, MA tel. 978-254-0710

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

Doe + Fawn offers a selection of toys, books and clothing for young children with a deep connection to the natural world.

84a Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA

105 Commonwealth Ave. Concord, MA doefawnshop • doefawn.com

1-781-674-6364 | puckandabby.com @shoppuckandabby

Shop in-store Tuesday - Friday 11-6 Saturday 10-5 53 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA VintagesOnline.com 978-369-2545 @vintagesonline @vintagesvino

Merlin’s Silver Star HILARY TAYLOR

978.590.6464 | MerlinsSilverStar.com Make your own silver

jewelry with a 2-hour

Concord’s favorite consignment shop for nearly 30 years!

Curated Women’s Clothing and Accessories Save up to 75% OFF retail prices

Now’s the time to place your Sterling Silver group Christmas orders. session forOrnament up to 6 people - here in the 101 Commonwealth Many creative images available. studio or at your location!

Call for further details for your ladies’ night out or birthday party (ages 8 - 98).

Visit our website for more ideas and silver jewelry.

MerlinsSilverStar.com | 978-590-6464 | 336 Baker Ave | Concord

Ave in West Concord

Facebook/Instagram: @ReflectionsConcord

www.ReflectionsConcord.com

In the summertime, fireflies light up the Concord night sky. Let’s learn some fascinating firefly facts!

Text adapted from Firefly Galaxy (Barefoot Books), written by Sarah Nelson and illustrated by Estrellita Caracol

What is a firefly’s life cycle?

Tiny eggs hatch into larvae*, which live for months or years in moist habitats like wet soil or under leaves or bark.

larva

*plural of larva

tiny eggs

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

pupa ng ed beetle

wi

Adult fireflies lay eggs, and the cycle begins again.

In spring, fireflies change form in a process called metamorphosis — like butterflies!

Fireflies live as flying adults for just a few weeks in late spring or summer.

What are fireflies?

In the dark, fireflies may look like twinkling stars, but they are really flying beetles. Most types of fireflies are nocturnal (active at night) and use light to communicate. A firefly that emits light has a light organ or lantern at the end of its body. Inside their lanterns, fireflies produce a light called bioluminescence. “Bio” means living thing. “Luminescence” means light.

Why do fireflies flash?

A firefly’s flash can be a warning to predators — don’t eat me; I’m dangerous! However, scientists believe that fireflies mainly flash to find mates. Each species, or unique kind, of firefly has its own flash pattern. Some fireflies are synchronous — thousands swarm together and flash their lights on and off, lighting up and going dark almost at the same time. Scientists are not sure why synchronous fireflies flash together. It is one of nature’s exciting mysteries.

Is it okay to catch fireflies?

If we are lucky enough to spot fireflies, mostly we should only watch and wonder. But every so often, if we are very gentle, it is okay to catch a firefly. Admire and study it awhile. Then let it go.

How can we help fireflies?

Fireflies are endangered in many regions, but fortunately, we can help: • Keep nights darker by closing our curtains, turning off unneeded outdoor lights, and growing shade trees.

• Create wild areas for fireflies in yards and parks.

• Let leaves and twigs collect on the ground to attract the critters that firefly larvae eat.

• Allow grasses to grow tall in these areas (female fireflies often watch for mates from tall blades of grass)

Barefoot Books is an award-winning, 30-year-old independent children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Learn more by visiting www.barefootbooks.com.

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57

SENIOR PORTRAITS THIS SUMMER

MENTION THIS PAGE AND RECEIVE $50 OFF YOUR SENIOR PORTRAIT SESSION

PIERRE.COM

978-369-9949

PCHIHAPHOTO@GMAIL.COM

The Concord Players 2024 - 2025 Season H OW I L E A R N E D TO D R I V E

Shakespeare

in Love

BY

Book and Lyrics Greg Kotis

Music and Lyrics Mark Hollmann

PAUL A VOGEL Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall

Music by Paddy Cunneen

Nov. 8 - 23, 2024

February 14 March 1, 2025

May 2 - 17, 2025

Directed by J. Mark Baumhardt

Directed by Michelle Leibowitz

Directed by Shelby Art - Koljonen

concordplayers.org

978-369-2990

Remember to order your holiday cakes, cookies and catering early!

Specializing in delicious everyday & custom designed cakes & cupcakes for every occasion.

59 Commonwealth Ave. West Concord • 978.369.7644 Monday-Saturday 7am - 5pm Sunday 8am - 2pm

www.concordteacakes.com

delicious everyday SpecializingSpecializing in delicious in everyday

CWCamden

Writers

Preserving family, corporate & organization histories since 1997 We work both nationally and internationally References available

Stories bring history to life...

There is a significant story to be written for all of us.

Let us help you tell yours.

CamdenWriters.com 207-542-9392 camdenwriters@gmail.com Camden • ME Marblehead • MA

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59

Historic Concord: Plan Your Visit Concord has many historic sites of interest. Below is contact information for each, along with their hours of operation.

CONCORD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY Concordlibrary.org Main Branch: 129 Main Street (978) 318-3300 Monday: 10 am – 8 pm Tuesday through Thursday: 9 am – 8 pm Friday and Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm Closed on Sunday Special Collections: 129 Main Street (978) 318-3342 Monday: 10 am – 6 pm Tuesday through Friday: 9 am – 5 pm Fowler Branch: 1322 Main Street (978) 318-3350 Monday through Friday: 10 am - 6 pm Saturdays in June: 10 am - 5 pm Closed on Saturday in July and August CONCORD MUSEUM Concordmuseum.org 53 Cambridge Turnpike (978) 369-9763 Tuesday - Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm CONCORD VISITOR CENTER Visitconcord.org 58 Main Street (978) 318-3061 Every day: 9 am - 4 pm Check the website for more information.

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE Louisamayalcott.org 399 Lexington Road (978) 369-4118 Monday through Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/ minute-man-visitor-center.htm 250 N. Great Road (Lincoln) (781) 674-1920 Grounds are open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Visitor Center open Wednesday Friday 9 am - 5 pm through June 30.

Effective July 1 - Aug 31: Wednesday - Friday: 9 am - 12 pm Visit the park website for programming schedule and expanded offerings over the summer.

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

©Dave Witherbee

Please check the website before visiting, as sites may be closed on holidays or for private events.

THE NORTH BRIDGE AND VISITOR CENTER Nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/ north-bridge-visitor-center.htm 174 Liberty Street (978) 369-6993 Grounds are open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Visitor Center open every day 10 am - 5 pm OLD HILL BURYING GROUND Visitconcord.org/listings/ old-hill-burial-ground 2-12 Monument Square Open daily: 7 am – 5 pm THE OLD MANSE Thetrustees.org/place/the-old-manse 269 Monument Street (978) 369-3909 Check the website or call for hours.

THE RALPH WALDO EMERSON HOUSE Ralphwaldoemersonhouse.org 28 Cambridge Turnpike (978) 369-2236 Thursday - Saturday: 10 am - 4:30 pm Sunday: 1 pm - 4:30 pm

THE ROBBINS HOUSE Robbinshouse.org 320 Monument Street (978) 254-1745 Wednesday - Monday: 11 am - 4 pm Closed on Tuesdays SLEEPY HOLLOW CEMETERY, INCLUDING AUTHORS RIDGE Concordma.gov/1956/Sleepy-HollowCemetery 120 Bedford Street (978) 318-3233 Open daily: 7 am – 7 pm SOUTH BURYING GROUND Concordma.gov/1958/SouthBurying-Ground Main Street and Keyes Road WALDEN POND STATE RESERVATION Mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-statereservation 915 Walden Street (978) 369-3254 Open daily – see website for hours THE WAYSIDE Nps.gov/mima 455 Lexington Road (978) 369-6993 Call for hours and events

A walking tour with a Certified Interpretive Guide is a great way to go deeper into the fascinating history of Concord.

Walking tours also make great gifts – and are a wonderful way to entertain family and out of town guests!

Our tours include: APRIL 19TH Perfect for the fan of American history LITERARY LUMINARIES Explore the fascinating Authors Ridge in Sleepy Hollow TWO REVOLUTIONS Perfect for the group that wants to learn about the American Revolution AND the Transcendentalists LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S CONCORD Fans of Little Women and Louisa May Alcott won’t want to miss this!

LEGENDS AND LORE Dive into the lesser-known town tales of Concord!

GRAVE DETECTIVES A family friendly tour exploring the iconography and stories of Old Hill Burying Ground Book your tour today and walk with us, where history happened!

ConcordWalkingTours.com | 978.257.4364

EXPLORE THE HISTORIC WATERWAYS

OF CONCORD!

The South Bridge Boathouse offers canoe and kayak rentals on the historic waterways of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord rivers.

Tour through American history by boating with us! See the wonders of nature which inspired Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne and the Alcotts. Please call us or visit our website for more infomation.

Hours Monday - Friday 10am-7pm Saturday - Sunday 9am-7pm 978 369 9438 496 Main St. Concord MA 01742

thesouthbridgeboathouse.com Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

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Finding Margaret Fuller in Concord: A Book Review

F

BY KRISTI LYNN MARTIN

Fiction is a fun introduction to history!

Allison Pataki encourages her readers to visit Concord, where her novel is predominately set—to tour the Emerson House, The Old Manse, and Orchard House—as she did while writing. Indeed, shortly after Finding Margaret Fuller: a novel’s publication (Ballentine Books, 2024), book clubs scheduled group tours at Emerson’s home.

Pataki fictionalizes Fuller’s life and the characters in her circle, misshaping chronology into an anachronistic melange and altering history to suit the story she tells about a misfit woman and feminist model (particularly for future novelist Louisa May Alcott). Especially notable to readers familiar with Concord, fictional changes are historically misleading, opposing factual actions and sentiments of the real people Pataki’s characters are based on, yet raise figurative questions about women’s lives and gender equality.

While Pataki succeeds in popularizing Fuller, the first person narrative lacks emotional drive, compelling immediacy, and Fuller’s voice—her wit, spirit, and sheer intelligence. Her character is comparatively bland and tepid. Rather than a peer, Fuller is characterized as a subordinate protege to famous men and a rival to their oppressed wives, missing the mark in depicting her true relationships. Emerson is caricatured as a literary autocrat with a sullen, neglected wife; Thoreau, kindly feral woodsman; Bronson Alcott, idealist buffoon with a precocious heroine-to-be toddler; Sophia Hawthorne, weakened dependent bride to an imaginatively wayward husband.

Pataki’s depictions are not without balancing sympathy, but the real story is more complex and interesting than fiction—replete with drama and romance for a novelist’s dreams.

Pataki’s fiction invites readers to discover Concord’s true stories, to walk in Fuller’s

footsteps in Sleepy Hollow’s pine shaded ridges and valleys or to Walden Pond; take in the surroundings on the rock at the Old Manse as Fuller did; go boating; and see Emerson’s home, where Fuller lived months of her life.

After Finding Margaret Fuller at your local bookshop, let Concord’s tour guides tell you the true stories of this remarkable woman!

—————————————————————————— Dr. Kristi Lynn Martin is an independent interdisciplinary scholar specializing in Concord’s nineteenth-century literary circle. She has worked with Concord’s many literary-historic sites.

“ ‘Tis the good reader that makes the good book.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Barrow Bookstore RARE AND GENTLY READ BOOKS

Specializing in Concord Authors and History; Transcendentalism; Revolutionary War, American, and Military History; Children’s Literature; and a wide selection for the eclectic reader.

Literary-themed gifts, postcards, and beeswax candles.

79 Main Street, Concord, MA (behind Fritz and Gigi) | www.barrowbookstore.com | 978-369-6084 62

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

39 Main Street | Concord MA 01742 1734 Massachusetts Ave. | Lexington, MA 02420 ArtinianJewelry.com

Toys, Crafts, Balloons & Fun Stuff for Kids of All Ages

Down the Stairs at 32 Main Street TheConcordToyBox.com 978.371.1635

Casual Curiosities for the Heart & Home 44 Main St. Concord, MA 2nd floor Monday - Saturday 10-5, Sundays 12-5 nestingconcord.com 978-369-4133 Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

63

Tnumarya: A Profile of Mary Moody Emerson

R

BY MARYBETH KELLY

“I see my father – I forget him – my

infancy, begun how

grandly – how sunken

now…Happy the man who finds an early bed of honor.”

— Mary Moody Emerson

Public domain

From Phyllis Cole’s book entitled Mary Moody Emerson and the Origins of Transcendentalism

Mary Moody Emerson

64

Ralph Waldo Emerson referred to her as Tnumarya, an anagram he created for his beloved aunt, Mary Moody Emerson. Many scholars believe her to be Emerson’s most seminal influencer. She was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1774, the third daughter of Rev. William Emerson and Phebe Walker Bliss Emerson. They were the first family to inhabit what became known as The Old Manse.

It was here on Rev. William Emerson’s land near The Old North Bridge, on the morning of April 19, 1775, that the American Revolution began in earnest.

The now famous words, “…shot heard round the world,” were written by Mary’s favorite nephew, Ralph Waldo, in his poem, “Concord Hymn.”

In September of 1824, the fifty-year-old Mary met General Lafayette during his Concord visit. She is known to have quipped that she, too, had been “in arms at the Concord fight.” She was referring to her mother’s arms as Phebe Emerson, then pregnant and holding eighteenmonth-old Mary with three children at her feet, watched through an upper-story window of the manse as the battle for independence raged within sight of the Emerson family on that fateful day.

Mary’s first loss occurred when her father, Rev. William Emerson, was called to join the Continental Army as chaplain at the request of Gen. George Washington.

Shortly after arriving at Fort Ticonderoga in 1776, he took ill and died in Rutland, Vermont, while attempting to return to his family in Concord.

Soon thereafter, two-year-old Mary was sent away by mother, Phebe, to live with family members. Loneliness, poverty, and hard labor were her constant companions as the young Mary learned her role as a domestic housekeeper and nursemaid. For Mary, it was a time of “slavery of poverty and ignorance and long orphanship.” It would take her nearly seventeen years to return to her beloved Concord.

For her mother, Phebe, the decision to send her infant child away meant one less mouth to feed soon after becoming a widow. Also influencing Phebe’s decision was the dreaded prospect that all

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

widowed mothers faced; what would become of their daughters who might not receive a marriage proposal? The family to whom Mary was sent would be expected to provide for her.

Mary did, in fact, turn down at least two marriage proposals in her early adult life. Thinking herself unsuited for the role of wife, she believed that her God would never have created two genders where one was subservient to another. An expansive idea for a young woman born before the American Revolution.

A colonial girl, Mary’s life was void of any formal education, but her brilliant mind and voracious appetite for learning never diminished throughout her nearly ninety years. Her journals, referred to as her “Almanacks,” are an impressive and expansive record of her reading, her thoughts, her spiritual life, and her self-gained knowledge.

Although grounded in her Christian beliefs, she came to accept a wider, more liberal and expansive theocracy, including that of her Unitarian family members. Her love of nature and God’s divine purpose was influential and evident in her favorite nephew’s seminal work, Nature, written at The Old Manse in 1834.

Much is known about the role Mary played in Waldo’s life due to their epistolary relationship. The decades of letters written between the two reveal not only a generational genius and unique, natural curiosity, but a genuine love and regard between the two.

On the occasion of her memorial, a grieving Ralph Waldo reminded us that his Tnumarya “danced to the music of her own imagination.” She believed the trials of her life would be rewarded by a benevolent God in the next. She left no image of herself behind except the silhouette created in her youth. The work of this little-known, exceptional woman quietly remains in the lives of her extraordinary family, including the nephew who brought to a new country an American Transcendental movement.

——————————————————————————————— Marybeth Kelly is the Lead Interpreter at The Old Manse Museum. She is the author of Flipping the Script: The Women of The Old Manse and resides in her beloved Concord.

Full Service Interior Design | Kitchens & Baths | Custom Millwork Architectural Finishes | Lighting Design | Construction Drawings Project Management | Furnishings & Decor Carlisle, MA + The Berkshires | nativedesignco.com | 413.329.0802 | hello@nativedesignco.com | @thedesignnative

Delicious, flavorful meals – with the best, nutrient-rich and sustainable ingredients available Located in the Boston Seaport District with magnificent harbor views Open for dinner every evening Lunch available Monday - Friday Please join us for Brunch on Saturday & Sunday For details, please visit woodshillpier4.com 300 Pier 4 Boulevard Boston, MA – tel. 617-981-4577

Discover CONCORD | discoverconcordma.com

65

The Bounty of the Season

N

BY CYNTHIA L. BAUDENDISTEL

©istock/jacoblund

Nothing says summer quite like fresh produce. Tomatoes bursting with ripeness, sweet corn on the cob, and, of course, watermelon.

There is something satisfying about planning a meal around the freshest fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master gardener to enjoy homegrown produce, honey, flowers, and more; Concord’s farm stands are here for you. Nothing could be simpler than stopping by and picking up the season’s best for your dinner table.

BARRETT’S MILL FARM 449 Barrett’s Mill Road, Concord, MA Owners Melissa Maxwell and Lise Holdorf grow 50 types of certified organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers on their 15-acre farm.

Whether you’re looking for unusual vegetables, fresh watermelon, or a just-picked bouquet, Barrett’s Mill Farm will have the season’s best for your table.

Farm Stand Hours Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm Saturday 9 am - 3pm 66

HUTCHINS FARM 754 Monument Street, Concord, MA This 63-acre farm has been owned and operated by the same family since 1895. Today, you’ll find certified organic fruit and vegetables available at their farmstand throughout the growing season. Their eight acres of apple trees mean the crispiest apples are right at hand!

HutchinsFarm.com Farm Stand Hours: Tuesday – Sundays: 11 am – 6 pm

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

MARSHALL FARM 171 Harrington Avenue, Concord, MA This third-generation family farm uses sustainable practices to bring you tasty vegetables, fruit, honey, poultry and eggs. Bring the kids to meet the family’s goats and chicken and to see the “Chick-Inn”, their mobile chicken tractors!

MarshallFarm.com Farm Stand Hours: Open every day 9 am – 6 pm

THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT FARM 1047 Concord Tpke, Concord, MA Proceeds from this USDAcertified organic farm support the Walden Woods Project.

Whether you’re looking for fresh vegetables or locally-sourced jams, it’s worth a stop at their farm stand this weekend.

Walden.org/the-waldenwoods-project-farm Farm Stand Hours: July and August: Friday – Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm

©istock/Mag Mos ©istock/Mag Mos

Visit These and Other Concord Farms for Ag Day, September 7, in Concord Center

VERRILL FARM 11 Wheeler Road, Concord,FARM MA VERRILL Verrill family 11The Wheeler Road,have been providing fresh produce Concord, MA since 1918 and this family-run farm continues grow. In The Verrill family have beentoproviding addition to fruits and1918 produce, you’ll fresh produce since and this find flowers, fresh baked goods, and family-run farm continues to grow.

In preparedtomeals their farm stand. addition fruits at and produce, you’ll VerrillFarm.com find flowers, fresh baked goods, and Farm Stand Hours: prepared meals at their farm stand.

Open every day 8 am – 7 pm VerrillFarm.com Farm Stand Hours: Open every day 8 am – 7 pm

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67

Artist

Spotlight

BY LYCA BLUME

I

In this series, we highlight two of the many artists who contribute to the deep creative culture of Concord. Across town, many organizations are dedicated to uplifting the visual arts and artists through exhibitions, educational programs, performances, and workspace.

BETHANY NOËL Imagine living in a visual reality that fluctuates.

Perhaps you don’t have to imagine at all. I have been witness to many of those who happen upon Bethany’s exquisite work at Three Stones Gallery in Concord. The emotional and visceral reaction viewers have to her paintings is truly moving.

Holding a Merit Scholar BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Bethany Noël is the kind of artist I would not hesitate to say might take the art world by storm. Noël is a pointillist, or rather divisionist, by circumstance and not choice. Like many others, she suffers chronic migraines that cause ocular distortions and auras in her vision. These often manifest as a superimposed fractal vision of color, light, and darkness along with nauseating pain. Despite this challenging reality, Noël takes refuge and strength in her work, giving form to an unseen reality. Her view of nature is both sacred and kaleidoscopic in an array of marks and patterns in acrylic and chalk pastel. Seemingly everyday scenes of woodlands and trees become hyper experienced through the voyeur of this unique vision. Perhaps best described in the artist’s own words, “My artwork is an ode to joy despite pain and Bethany Noël, Resevoir revealing the beauty of the mundane.” BethanyNoelArt.com

ALICE ROSA Italian artist Alice Rosa had a love of botany from a young age. It is with this immense love and impeccable skill in color pencils that Rosa creates almost scientifically descriptive botanical illustrations, as if from a Victorian manuscript. A Concord resident, Rosa holds a degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Verona as well as a degree in Art Conservation from the Istituto Veneto per i Beni Culturali in Venice, Italy. Suffice it to say, this is an artist with immense attention to every detail and miniscule moment. I often imagine her work as the world perceived through the eyes of a butterfly. Hearing the call of the glorious peony, beckoning its admirers, and delighting in bursts of vivid color and chiffon petals. All this glory that comes from this beautiful earth is in such a delicate balance with the impact humans have on the environment. Rosa’s work wishes to “raise awareness of the wonders of nature through her art, and with that, encourage a deeper respect for the environment.” Her work reminds us there are stories within each humble plant that teach valuable lessons we can apply to a hopeful future.

TheUmbrellaArts.org/person/alice-rosa Both artists’ works can found at Three Stones Gallery.

————————————————————————————————————————————— Lyca Blume is a mixed media artist whose unique jewelry creations feature pieces collected on her travels. She is the gallery manager at Three Stones Gallery in Concord.

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

Alice Rosa, October Sunshine

Celebrate Summer!

Our beverage catering services makes party planning a breeze. We even offer curbside pickup for phone or online orders.

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69

Courtesy of Three Stones Gallery

Patti Ganek, Twilight Bouquet, acrylic on canvas, 48x48

Arts Around Town

BY CYNTHIA L. BAUDENDISTEL

MUSIC

CONCORD BAND 51 Walden | concordband.org PICNIC IN THE PARK Join the Concord Band at the annual Picnic in the Park Independence Day celebration! This annual tradition is sure to delight the entire family. July 4 at Emerson Playground.

CONCORD WOMEN’S CHORUS 81 Elm Street | Concordwomenschorus.org 3RD ANNUAL CARLISLE MUSIC FESTIVAL Don’t miss the 3rd Annual Carlisle Music Festival @ Old Home Day! Concord Women’s Chorus and more than a dozen other musicians and musical groups will entertain during this three-day event. There are even sing-alongs, so gather up the family, pack a blanket and picnic lunch (or enjoy the food and ice cream trucks) and kick off summer with three days of music, fun, family, and friends.

June 21 – 23. Visit Carlislema.gov for more information.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Rideout Playground | ConcordRec.Myrec.com/Info/Activities Join Concord Recreation for their annual Summer Concert Series in West Concord! Each night a live band will take the stage to play all your favorite songs, old and new. The concerts run from 6-8 pm at Rideout Playground. Find our which bands are playing by visiting their website.

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

ACTON SUMMER CONCERT SERIES NARA Amphitheater in Acton | Acton-Ma.gov/306/ Concerts-and-Special-Events Friday nights mean concerts at the NARA Amphitheater in Acton! Starting July 12 with a tribute band to Fleetwood Mac, the concerts will continue through August with a wide variety of musical acts sure to entertain on a summer’s evening. Visit their website for details on all the concerts lined up for this summer!

VISUAL ARTS THREE STONES GALLERY 32 Main Street | threestonesgallery.com CALL ME FORWARD, CALL ME BACK Don’t miss Alyn Carlson’s small watercolor landscapes that express her synesthesia: the ability to hear, taste, and feel color. Mara Wagner presents richly textured mixed media works, and a memorial retrospective of spirited works by Julia Ladds Clauss will highlight the show. You’ll also find new works by Judy Bramhall, Brenda Cirioni, Patti Ganek, and Kevin Kusiolek.

June 19 - July 28 Reception: Friday, June 21, 6 - 8 pm INNER TIDES This midsummer show features abstract works on paper by Daryl Burtnett, watercolors of New England landscapes by Bruce Davidson, and lively oil paintings by Lindsey Brown. Alyn Carlson, Ray Ciemny, Cecile Ganne, Joan Kocak, and Colleen Pearce. July 31 - September 8 Reception: Saturday, August 10, 6 - 8 pm THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER 40 Stow Street | theumbrellaarts.org REFLECTION: SELFHOOD/MOTHERHOOD Experience this remarkable gallery exhibition of work by two artists in residence; photographer and mixed media artist Catherine LeComte and painter Jasmine Chen. June 28 - September 2

Courtesy of The Umbrella Arts Center

Untitled by Catherine LeComte

THEATRE CONCORD PLAYERS 51 Walden Street | concordplayers.org THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR The World’s A Stage Players, the Concord Players’ Shakespeare troupe, will present The Merry Wives of Windsor this summer. While remaining true to Shakespeare’s language, the Players will present The Merry Wives of Windsor as a modern-day soap opera, complete with villains, heroes/heroines, clever characters, and oafish egotistical suitors. This rollicking comedic romp focuses on the town of Windsor and is the only Shakespearean play set entirely in England. Welcome summer with what is sure to be a delightful play. July 20 - 28 CONCORD MUSEUM 53 Cambridge Tpke | concordmuseum.org WE WERE FRIENDS: AN EPISODIC PLAY EXPLORING THE FRIENDSHIP OF MARGARET FULLER AND RALPH WALDO EMERSON Grab your picnic basket and blanket and meet on the Museum lawn for special performances of a selection of episodes of We Were Friends. Presented by the award-winning Firelight Theatre Workshop and performed on land that was once Emerson’s apple orchard, this series of short plays explores the enigmatic and compelling friendship between Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, set in today’s world.

There are two plays in the series, but you don’t need to see the first play to be able to enjoy the second.

And Then: Late Night will be presented July 18.

Two Years In: Birthdays will be presented August 15

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Photo by Barrow Bookstore

La Pieta in Concord Center

6

Accidents happen! In 1844, Henry David Thoreau accidentally did what?

A. Started a fire that took off and burned over 100 acres in Concord B. Cut a fishing hole in the frozen Walden Pond that weakened the ice and caused ice harvesters to fall into the water C. Got locked in the Concord jail while trying to survey the property D. Planted chili peppers instead of beans

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Transcendentalist Margaret Fuller was good friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and a regular visitor to Concord. In 1847, why did Margaret travel to Italy?

A. To work as a nanny for the Emerson family B. To work as a journalist C. To teach English at a girls’ finishing school D. To meet a matchmaker who had arranged a marriage for her

Barrow Bookstore Presents:

CONCORD

Trivia

Q 1

Which March sister is Louisa May Alcott describing in this sentence from her 1868 novel Little Women: “If ‘genius is eternal patience’, as Michelangelo affirms, [THIS SISTER] had some claim to the divine attribute, for she persevered in spite of all obstacles, failures, and discouragements, firmly believing that in time she should do something worthy to be called ‘high art’.”

A. Meg B. Jo C. Beth D. Amy

2

True, False, or Sort of….

A statue made by Italian sculptor Michelangelo sits in Concord center for all to see.

3

In 1867, at age 16, future sculptor Daniel Chester French moved with his family to Concord where he took beginning art lessons from which Concord resident: A. Henry David Thoreau 72

Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

B. Abigail May Alcott C. Sophia Hawthorne D. Edith Emerson

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Want to get away? You live in 1840s Concord and ride your horse to Harvard, Massachusetts, to check out “Fruitlands,” a utopian community recently started by Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott) and Charles Lane. You arrive in time for dinner. Which of the following might be on the approved dinner menu?

A. Melons B. Carrots C. Fish D. Cheese E. Honey

4

Name the Mason! Built in 1820, Concord’s current Masonic Temple is home to Concord’s Corinthian Lodge A.F. & A.M. which was formed in 1797 under the authority of Grand Master ________ A. Rev. William Emerson B. Simon Willard C. John Hancock D. Paul Revere

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5

10

You are a lawyer in 18th-century Concord. You are hired to administer the will of a landholder who has died. The land and property will be divided among his sons, and you see the will has made provisions for his relict. What is a “relict?”

A. His remaining livestock that will need to be moved B. His widow C. His book collection D. His outstanding debts

Born in Concord in 1823, this abolitionist, teacher, and equal rights activist, is today locally referred to as “Concord’s Rosa Parks.”

Was she: A. Ellen Garrison B. Mary Moody Emerson C. Louisa May Alcott D. Jennie Duggan

Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum for the Men of Concord! Which American artist illustrated both Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Men of Concord (short biographies written by Henry David Thoreau)?

A. Abigail May Alcott B. Daniel Chester French C. N.C. Wyeth D. Joe Shmoe E. An’Ida Kno

A 1. D. Amy. The youngest of the four fictional March sisters, Amy was based on Louisa’s real life youngest sister May, who was an aspiring artist. While living at Orchard House in Concord, May illustrated the first edition of her older sister’s Little Women, Part First and, eventually, became a fine artist.

2. Sort of. A replica of Michelangelo’s “La Pieta” statue sits in Concord Center.

Recently moved from behind the Catholic rectory, the statue now sits outside Monument Hall (near the Colonial Inn and Masonic Temple). Described by Concord author Nathaniel Hawthorne in his Italian Notebooks, the statue depicts “a representation of the dead Christ, in his mother’s lap.” The original was made

by Michelangelo out of a single block of marble and resides in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, where Hawthorne visited it in 1858.

All photos on this page Public Domain

May Alcott Nierkier by Rose Peckham, 1879

3. B. Abigail May Alcott. Youngest sister of Louisa May Alcott, Abigail May Alcott (usually called “May”), gave art lessons to a young Daniel Chester French and taught him the basics of sculpting. French’s famed works include the Minute Man Farmer statue at the North Bridge, and the seated Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. Visit the Concord Library to see more of his statues.

4. D. Paul Revere. Learn more about Concord’s Corinthian Lodge by visiting their website at concordmasons.org/ history 5. B. His widow. Derived from the Latin relinquere, meaning “what is left,” relict referred to the spouse of the deceased.

Keep your eye on gravestones in Concord’s old burial grounds and you may see this word.

6. A. Started a fire that took off and burned over 100 acres in Concord. Oops.

As later described by Thoreau in an 1850 journal entry, he was cooking fish on a dry riverbank when the fire accidentally spread through arid ground. Thoreau tried to extinguish the fire and then ran for help when the flames were out of his control.

Suggesting it wasn’t their problem, some townspeople were not very responsive to his pleas for help until the fire got so large that all hands—and buckets— were needed!

7. B: To work as a journalist.

Margaret Fuller was hired by Horace Greeley to write for The New York Tribune. She became the first paid female American war correspondent, reporting from Rome during the 1848 Revolution in the Italian states. Although she did not use a matchmaker, during her time in Italy, Margaret did meet and marry Count Giovanni Ossoli.

8. A: Melons. Melons were acceptable fare at the utopian community, and the residents planted about an acre of them.

But the community followed what was similar to a vegan diet with additional

restrictions. Certain vegetables, including carrots, were forbidden because they showed a lower nature by growing downward. Near starvation contributed to the Alcotts leaving Fruitlands after only seven months. Shortly after, they moved to Concord and into today’s named Wayside House on Lexington Road.

9. A. Ellen Garrison. When the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed, Ellen was working as a teacher in Maryland. The Act declared “that all…. citizens of the United States…of every race and color… shall have the same right, in every State and Territory….” Despite the promised language in the Civil Rights Act, Ellen was forcibly removed from a train station in Baltimore after she sat in a segregated waiting room. Ellen challenged this action in court. Learn more by visiting the Robbins House Museum or read Camille Johnson’s Discover Concord article “From Concord to California: Ellen Garrison and her fight for Freedom” in Discover Concord magazine. issuu. com/discoverconcordma/ docs/dc.fall22. fullbook/s/16740941 10. C. N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) Visit the William Munroe Concord Library to view their Wyeth art collection on permanent display.

For a list of sources, email barrowbookstore@gmail.com.

————————————————————— For more than 50 years, Barrow Bookstore has been a favorite of residents and visitors alike, specializing in Concord authors and history, children’s books and literature. The shop also provides a wide array of gently read and rare titles ranging from paperbacks to first editions and original manuscripts.

Staff members have all worked as tour guides and reenactors in Concord and are happy to share their knowledge about the town and its history. Discover more at barrowbookstore.com.

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Concord Welcomes

Summer Summer in Concord is a wonderful

time for residents and visitors to play.

Paddling and swimming on our rivers,

ponds, and lakes, along with walking or biking the area trails are just a few of our inviting activities.

Summer also brings the sights and

sounds of our natural world, such as the animal life and colorful flowers.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY DAVE WITHERBEE The insect world is very interesting as is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail gathering nectar on Joe Pye weed.

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Discover CONCORD | Summer 2024

The swamp rosemallow is a beautiful plant found in Great Meadows at the northern side of the lower compound and well worth seeking out in late summer.

The Fourth of July is a fun and celebratory day that is a highlight of our summers.

Hummingbirds are a delight to see and hear. The bright colors they are drawn to add an extra dimension.

A great blue heron (named Grumpy) is wandering over a walking bridge next to the Concord River.

The twisted osprey is as curious as we are.

A wonderful summer color is a riverside, bright red Cardinal flower.

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Find everything you need this summer - right here in Concord.

Shop Local!

Here’s how much of your $100 purchase stays in your community when you spend at . . .

$48

… an independent local store

$14

… a local chain store

$1

… a remote online store (if the delivery driver resides locally)

Summer 2024

ANTIQUES 37 Bobbi Benson Antiques 74 North Bridge Antiques ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOM BUILDING AND INTERIOR DESIGN 7 Anderson Landscape Construction and Horticulture Preservation 1 Appleton Design Group 31 CS Bailey Landscaping 27 Driscoll Contracting 9 The Domus Group Insert Inkstone Architects 65 Native Interior Design Studio C3 Platt Builders ART AND GUITARS 80 Minuteman Guitars 39 Three Stones Gallery BOOKS AND OTHER MEDIA 49 Barefoot Books 62 Barrow Bookstore 33 The Concord Bookshop 75 Discover Concord CATERING, RESTAURANTS, AND SPECIALTY FOOD AND WINE SHOPS 54 Adelita 36 The Cheese Shop 59 Concord Teacakes 5 Concord’s Colonial Inn 54 Debra’s Natural Gourmet 69 Dunkin’

40 55 69 65 26

©istock.com/FG Trade

Advertiser Index Fiorella’s Cucina Vintages West Concord Wine & Spirits Woods Hill Pier 4 Woods Hill Table

First Rugs Nesting Patina Green Puck and Abby

JEWELERS 63 Artinian Jewelry 33 Fairbank & Perry Goldsmiths 55 Merlin’s Silver Star

CLOTHING 55 Doe + Fawn 55 Reflections 33 Sara Campbell

LODGING 5 Concord’s Colonial Inn

EXPERIENTIAL 37 Concord Museum 59 Concord Players 61 Concord Walking Tours 61 South Bridge Boathouse 45 The Umbrella Arts Center 20 The Wright Tavern FARMS 66 66 66 26, 67 66 74

69 63 74 55

Barrett’s Mill Farm Hutchin’s Farm Marshall Farm Verrill Farm The Walden Woods Project Farm Wilson Farm

FLORISTS 30 Concord Flower Shop HOME FURNISHINGS, DÉCOR, AND UNIQUE GIFTS 61 Artisans Way 15, 30 The Bee’s Knees British Imports

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 59 Camden Writers 33 Cruise Planners 36 Dinardo Vintage 36 Northeast Numismatics 58 Pierre Chiha Photographers 30 Spotless Cleaners REAL ESTATE 3 The Attias Group C2 Barrett Sotheby’s Int’l Realty 67 Carleton-Willard Village C4 Compass Insert Landvest TOYS 63 55

Concord Toy Box Doe + Fawn

VISITOR RESOURCES 21 Concord Visitor Center

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Located in beautiful historic Concord, Massachusetts NEW • PRE-OWNED • COMMISSIONS • BY APPOINTMENT wilson@minutemanguitars.com | 617.460.9610 | www.minutemanguitars.com

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