Few places in the United States offer a wealth of history, literature, anthropological clues, and examples of Early American architecture along a one-mile stroll. Concord’s American Mile invites you to enjoy the great outdoors while learning about the town’s fascinating history. Begin your adventure at Monument Square and head east along Lexington Road.
Isabel Bliss hurried her three children, aged four through seven, off to bed on the night of March 20, 1775. The two men who had come to her door looked like local farmers seeking counsel from her husband, lawyer Daniel Bliss. They wore the homespun coats of plain country folk, but the muskets they carried told a different story.
As the men huddled with Daniel in the parlor, talking in whispers, Isabel was startled by another knock at the door. She opened it cautiously and was relieved to see the familiar face of a neighbor. The woman was out of breath, and tears stained her cheeks. She begged Isabel to forgive her, because she had given the two strangers directions to the Bliss home without knowing who they were.
