Lexington, MA

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

When I mentioned to a friend that I was taking the red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston she said "Good luck with that."  I'd never flown overnight before, but I figured I'd be able to sleep OK and I got an aisle seat to make restroom visits easy.

I arrived in Boston exhausted and hungry before six in the morning on Sunday, July 18th, 2010.  The family across the aisle from me had been awake and noisy until nearly the end of the flight.  The only breakfast I could find at the airport was an egg and sausage sandwich that may as well have been cardboard and plastic.  At least the coffee had caffeine in it.  Having picked up my rental car I successfully navigated my way out of Boston heading for Lexington, a little over 20 miles inland.  Just outside Lexington I found a Starbucks and got a big muffin and more coffee.  Now I was ready for adventure!

My first stop in Lexington was the Common, where 77 militiamen faced 700 British soldiers on the morning of April 19, 1775.  The British were on their way to confiscate arms in Concord.  Paul Revere and William Dawes had ridden from Boston the night before to warn of the British approach.  Intending only to display their resolve, the militiamen had begun to disperse when someone (it is not clear on which side), fired a shot.  Against orders, the British fired at the fleeing Americans, killing eight.

This boulder marks the line of the minutemen.  The gold car in the background is my rental car.

I wandered around the common, and briefly joined a group being led by this volunteer in period dress.

 

 I took a very interesting tour through Buckman Tavern, the gathering place of the militiamen as they waited for the British troops.  The small one-story wing on the right is the original tavern room.  The tour started there, but continued through the rest of the house, explaining how it was gradually enlarged over many decades as trade and technology changed and as the various owners became more prosperous.

Lexington has a very nice visitor center with friendly volunteers, clean restrooms, and a gift shop, located behind Buckman Tavern.

What I Did Last Summer . . .

In July and August of 2010 I took a 23-day trip through six Eastern states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont.  My goal was to be in the places my ancestors had lived and fought; to breathe the air, walk beneath the trees, and get a sense of what these places were like.  I visited places that were pivotal in American history, from historic buildings to battlefields.  I researched my family history in local archives and cemeteries.

I hope to use the first set of entries in this blog to share that trip with friends and family.