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New England Road Trip➤
Patty and I hit the road again in April 2023. We planned to visit a friend in Rhode Island and attend a meetup of the National Park Travelers Club in Massachusetts. Along the way we hit several other National Park Units and historic sites.
A National Park Travelers Club member hosted the meetup at Minute Man National Historical Park. We attended some of the special events the park presented for Patriots’ Week.
Minute Man National Historical Park➤
Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the opening battle in the American Revolutionary War. The British planned to raid the colonists’ weapons cache in Concord. The Patriots discovered the plan and moved the weapons out of Concord. The night before the raid, Paul Revere and other riders warned the militia in the countryside, “The Redcoats are coming!”
On April 19, 1777, the British pushed past the militia at Lexington and continued on to Concord. As they searched for the weapons, the colonial commanders ordered militia men to fire back at British troops for the first time. This was “the shot heard round the world.”
The militia outnumbered the British Regulars in Concord by four to one. The British commanders decided to retreat back to Boston. For the rest of the day, the militia pursued the British along the road between Concord and Lexington. The Battle Road lies within the park and serves as the setting for a massive reenactment each April.
Hartwell Tavern➤
Our day began at the Hartwell Tavern. Samuel Hartwell built the home in 1733 and gave it to his son Ephraim. Ephraim converted it into an Inn in 1756 and it remained one until the 1780s. Hartwell is on the Battle Road in what is now Lincoln, Massachusetts. Soldiers passed the tavern during the battles of Concord and Lexington.
When we arrived, the place was abuzz with reenactors dressed in civilian garb. We toured the tavern and spoke to some of the Hartwells. The locals congregated in the yard as they prepared to flee from the path of war.
After a while, the rangers asked us to move out a distance. The civilians evacuated towards Lexington. Shortly afterwards, the redcoats and the militia showed up and staged a gun fight in front of us before continuing down the Battle Road. Afterwards one of the Patriots explained the history of what we’d just witnessed.
New England Posts➤
- Mark Twain
- Roger Williams
- Slater Mill
- New Bedford Whaling
- Cape Cod: Nauset Marsh Trail
- Cape Cod: Three Sisters Lights
- Cape Cod: Nauset Light
- Pilgrim Memorial State Park
- Minute Man: Hartwell
- Minute Man: Battle Road
- Springfield Armory
Location: Virginia Rd, Lincoln, MA
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated/established: September 21, 1959
Date of my visit: April 15, 2023
