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Published: October 28th 2008
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We learned so much today that this is going to be a long blog. Be prepared! First thing, bright and early, we took Daisy to a kennel for the day. Then we drove to a hotel to be picked up by the Boston Tours mini-bus. The driver stopped at three other spots and picked up others. Then we started the tour.The driver could have been a stand-up comedian. He actually did stand up and deliver his funny lines sometimes. His history seems to be accurate because Nancy checked on-line about the stories we weren't sure about - if he was pulling our legs. We started out at the Charlestown Navy Yard and went on board the U.S.S. Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides". She was built in Boston in 1797 and is still a commissioned Naval vessel. She is a wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate with more than 25 guns (cannons) on the gun deck. She was in battles against the Barbary pirates and was used in the War of 1812. We got to go belowdecks and saw where the crew slept in hammocks, and where the Marines protected the captain and the officers. What a fascinating history! There wasn't enough time to
Rich
At the marine tribute on the U.S.S. Constitution spend in the Museum. Rich was interested in the science of the munitions and in the ship-building and rigging. We could see the new Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge which is a beautiful new style of bridge called cable-stayed. It is very unusual.
Our next stop was, oh my, the Old North Church. The true story is that Paul Revere told his friends in the church to put up two lanterns for a few seconds to alert the other riders. Paul Revere already knew that the British were coming across the harbor by boat. The signal was FROM him, not FOR him as in Longfellow's poem. He was one of about 40 Patriots who rode that night to spread the alarm. The pews inside were box pews.
Next stop was at the Bunker Hill Monument, on Breed's Hill. It turns out that Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill were both fortified against the British, but Breed's Hill was further toward the front, so it was to protect Bunker Hill. It was the Battle FOR Bunker Hill. The British won both hills, but only with very heavy casualties. We went to Faneuil Market for lunch. It's the original Boston Market!
The building was built as an indoor market downstairs and a meeting hall upstairs that had been used many times by the Patriots to discuss the rebellion. We couldn't go inside the meeting room because it was being used to swear in new citizens at the time. We had lunch at a little restaurant that pegged itself as a beanery. Nancy tried the Boston baked beans and didn't give them a thumbs-up. Rich tried the clam chowdah and rated it a 4. After the lunch break, we followed the Freedom Trail. We passed King's Chapel. One of the quick stops was at the Old Granary Burial Ground where John Hancock, Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and alsoBen Franklin's parents are buried. We went into downtown and admired the beautiful big buildings. We stopped at the Custom House, where the Boston Massacre took place in 1770. Did you remember that it took place so long before 1776? Then we drove up Beacon Hill, past the original "Cheer's" bar, the Boston Common, and the Public Gardens where the swan boats go! There are little duckling statues for the classic "Make Way for Ducklings" book that took place there. The swan boats were already
put up for the winter. We drove past the Massachusetts State House with its golden dome. We stopped at Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library for quick photo stops.
Next we drove over the Charles River out to Cambridge where we drove around Harvard! We saw the "statue of three lies" - John Harvard, Founder, 1638, it says on the statue's base. It turns out that John Harvard never attended the school or lived there or worked there. He was friends with the first schoolmaster of the New College, Nathaniel Eaton. Harvard died childless, so he gave half of his estate to be used for a building at the New College and he donated his library of 400 books. The building was begun that same year. So, first lie - he was not the founder of the school. Second lie- Harvard was started in 1636, not 1638. Can you believe that 16 years after the Pilgrims landed, people were settled enough to even think of starting a college? It was to train ministers. The third lie is that the statue is not really of John Harvard. By 1884 when the statue was sculpted, no one had any idea what
he looked like! The sculptor, French, (the same one who did the Minuteman and Lincoln and studied under May Alcott) used a student for a model for the statue! Sadly, in 1674, the building and all but one of his contibuted books burned up in a fire! It was special to be there at Harvard, because some of Nancy's relatives attended Harvard (hi, Aunt Liz). Our last stop was at the Longfellow House. Nancy had been disappointed not to see the Longfellow House in Maine, when he actually lived in this house for forty years, starting in 1837! What a nice surprise! On top of that, in 1775, George Washington had chosen the house as his headquarters for the Revolution. Martha joined him as hostess. We weren't able to go in, but we bought a book of Longfellow's poems and Thomas Paine's book, "Common Sense", which the docent said George Washington first read in this house and that influenced his thoughts during the war.
On the way back out of town, we passed Fenway Park, the arena for the Boston Celtics, and MIT. Then we were returned to the hotel where out truck was parked. What a day! The highlight
Longfellow House
Washington's Headquarters for Rich was being in the Old North Church. For Nancy, it was impossible to choose between the Longfellow House, Harvard, and the Public Garden. We missed Daisy, because she had to spend the night in the kennel.
We went to sleep with so much history spinning around in our heads!
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Chris KOch
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more memories
Wow, another day and more memories for me. I remember walking the Freedom Trail in Boston. I also went to Old Ironsides and ate chowder at Faneuil Hall (my first clam chowder). The only difference in our days was that we used the subway to go to Harvard and into town and we had to walk. I just showed my photo alblum to the kids of the graveyard, Old North Church, Revere's house and mall, Copps Hill, and first public school a couple of weeks ago. Thanks again for the updated photos and the chance to ride along with you.