Lafayette was a French aristocrat who volunteered with the Continental Army, defying the will of his family to pursue what his heart commended him to do. His commitment to the American cause continues to be a powerful reminder of the universal appeal of the American Revolution.
The Acton Minutemen were formed at the end of 1774 at a town meeting. Tensions with England had grown to a boil, and towns everywhere were responding by training their men to fight. The town of Acton, which had previously been part of Concord, chose their best men from their existing militia units to form the new Minute Company, and those men voted 30-year-old Isaac Davis as their Captain.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, Concord had just turned 200 years old and had a population of around 2,000. Always a farming town, by the 1840s, Concord’s agricultural economy was in flux, and the crops and farms that had been so important to the town in its first 200 years were evolving. By the dawn of the twentieth century, Concord agriculture had changed in many ways, from the people who were farming to the crops they were growing.
Colonial Concord was a small subsistence-level farming community. By the eighteenth century, provincial Concord was three times larger (1,500 people) and six times wealthier due to a rapid rise in commerce and manufacturing. The white cottages on the church green reflect Concord’s transformation.
Concord’s literary legacy and natural beauty have inspired countless writers and readers to explore the art of storytelling. The 31st annual Concord Festival of Authors (CFA) celebrates the written and spoken word this fall with dozens of literary events throughout town on October 20 – 30. Managed by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library, this year’s CFA also honors the library’s 150th anniversary as a community home for readers of all ages.
In the early 1600s, the first taverns opened in New England to serve refreshments, specifically alcoholic beverages, to locals and travelers. Many taverns also served food, and some, designated as inns, provided shelter and beds to travelers passing through.
In the autumn of 1774, colonists in Concord were preparing for the cold winter months and a potential military conflict with the British Army. This particular winter was quite difficult due to a domino cause and effect of events.
West Concord is fully embracing fall fun, with events and activities for the whole family this year. From live music around the neighborhood to the village’s biggest annual birthday bash, you won’t want to miss the chance to discover what makes West Concord such a vibrant place for shopping, eating, and exploring.
From the first shots fired, that fateful morning in April 1775, to the vicious fighting of “Parker’s Revenge” that afternoon, the events that took place in Lexington, Massachusetts are forever etched in America’s history.
“October is the month for painted leaves,” Henry Thoreau wrote in 1860. “Their rich glow now flashes round the world.” And while it’s true that other parts
of the world experience autumnal tints every year,
they seem to be brighter and more vivid in New England.
Living their values—community, joy, and respect for the dignity of every person—is what Kerem Shalom, a progressive synagogue in Concord, MA, is all about.
There are some tales that have so seeped into a place that it is best to leave them be or risk upsetting the spirits who dwell within. But sometimes, even if you mind your own realm, the spirits come out and find you.
The Old Hill Burying Ground certainly lives up to its name, with its first marked gravestone dating back to 1677 and its last not reaching the twentieth century. The headstones are so old that they jut out of the ground in jagged positions, with most of their writing illegible.
Take one beloved band director with vision, add 25 blind marching band students;
mix well in Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and voila! You have an extraordinary, never-to-be forgotten experience.
Autumn is a special time in New England. For my family, September means an excursion to a local orchard for apple picking, apple cider, and apple donuts. Then in October, it is off to the farm for pumpkin picking.
For anyone who is new to New England, or somehow has never had a cider donut, let me tell you these are a delicious fall treat! The best donuts are fresh from the fryer, covered in cinnamon sugar. They have a delicate crust and a warm, bready interior that is redolent of apple cider and cinnamon. When you bite into one of these treats, it is heavenly. Yum!
Mixologist Brigette Sanchez's fun fall cocktail this year
will remind you of all the seasons shaken up and served together. Let your mind wander and relax in the cool autumn evenings with a Lil’ Red Suzette.
Native Americans have been planting The Three Sisters for thousands of years. Corn, pole beans, and squash have a symbiotic relationship when planted together. The tall corn stalks provide a structure for the pole beans to climb, while the beans provide nitrogen to the soil. The squash spreads its large leaves along the ground to soak up sunshine, conserve water, and reduce weeds. This tradition of interplanting goes beyond agriculture, though, and has important cultural and spiritual aspects to many Indigenous peoples.
Meet Kyle Johns, whose work deconstructs traditional industrial mold-making processes to create unique new forms that explore “the grey area” between the practical and the sculptural, and Barbara H. Willis, whose extraordinary fiber artworks are always unique.
