history

The 250th anniversary of the first days of the American Revolution is being celebrated in Lincoln and neighboring communities this April, and there is a full slate of celebrations beginning on Saturday, April 19 and running through Monday, April 21. Click here to see a list of the celebratory events happening in the Battle Road communities of Arlington, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, and the Minute Man National Historical Park. 

• Parking will be limited so public transportation is highly recommended. The MBTA is offering special event train and bus schedules for our communities — click here to learn more.
• If you would like to attend events in Concord on Saturday, April 19, please consider taking the train from Lincoln Station. Nine trains have been added to the schedule, and there will be no vehicular access to Concord center on April 19. 
• Mark your calendars for the Patriots’ Day events run by our Lincoln Minute Men — click here for dates, times and locations.

By Donald L. Hafner

Lincoln rarely (if ever) held a town meeting in the month of January. But it did on January 9, 1775. And the town was in a defiant mood, ready to make patriotic sacrifices — up to a point.

In the summer of 1774, Parliament had passed the Coercive Acts, shutting Boston harbor and effectively ending 150 years of self-rule in Massachusetts. Lincoln joined other towns in defiance. In quick order, at the January meeting, Lincoln elected Eleazer Brooks as its representative to the Provincial Congress, convened by Massachusetts towns after the royal governor, General Thomas Gage, had dissolved the elected colonial legislature in October 1774. Town meeting agreed to give the Provincial Congress all the tax money that the town in the past would have sent to the royal governor.

Lincoln’s own pledge in August 1774 of non-purchase/non-consumption (annotated for clarity). Aren’t we all glad that the word “boycott” was finally invented in 1880? (Click image for larger view.)

Town meeting also reached agreement on what could have been a very contentious issue—setting up a Committee of Inspection. Back in August 1774, town meeting had called for a pledge by Lincoln families not to purchase or consume any imported British products. The pledge was signed by seventy-eight men—an impressive number, but well short of unanimous. Similar efforts at non-purchase/non-consumption had been tried in past confrontations with Britain. The intent was that the loss of American markets would inflict economic pain on British merchants, and they would compel Parliament to change its policies.

However, most of those prior efforts had failed. Unless there were universal compliance, loyalist tradesmen could prosper while patriotic tradesmen would suffer. To cope with this problem, when the Continental Congress in Philadelphia agreed upon a policy of non-purchase/non-consumption for all the colonies, it called upon communities to appoint committees of inspection, to enforce the policy. Monitoring merchants in the town of Lincoln would be easy—there were hardly any. But would this Committee of Inspection now encourage Lincoln residents to spy upon their neighbors for any suspicious purchases made in other towns? If anyone raised such concerns, they were outvoted.

Economic sacrifice was one matter. Was the town was prepared for even greater sacrifice?

Back in October 1774, the Provincial Congress called upon all towns to form special militia units, to be composed of men “who shall equip and hold themselves in readiness, on the shortest notice… to march to the place of rendezvous.” These would be the town’s minute men, and the Congress urged each town “to pay their own minute men reasonable compensation for their services.”

On January 9, 1775, Lincoln had not yet formed a minute company. But town meeting took up the question whether the town “will pay minute men in case any are appointed.” The decision was: “to make some allowance to minute men if they should be drawn out; voted that further consideration of this article be referred to the next March meeting.” In fact, no decision on equipping and paying the minute men would be made at the next March meeting. Nor the meeting after that, nor the next.

The repeated postponement of this issue suggests deep disagreement in town. But the terse town record is silent on what those disagreements may have been. Might we imagine what arguments would be heard today, if Lincoln’s town meeting took up such an issue? Would we prepare for war?

“Lincoln’s History” is an occasional column by members of the Lincoln Historical Society. See previously published “Did You Know?” pieces here.

• In the August 11 issue of “News Acorns,” the date for the screening of “Cinderella” was incorrect and the location was omitted. The movie will be shown on Wednesday, Aug. 14 in the Lincoln Public Library Tarbell Room. the correct information is listed in the Lincoln Squirrel calendar.

• The August 8 article headlined “August 1774: Boycott pledge starts Lincoln on road to Revolution” has been augmented with a comment by the Lincoln Historical Society’s Donald Hafner about the origin of the word “boycott” (something that residents of Lincoln and other towns were doing with British goods in 1774):

Just an amusing historical note. At the time when the Sons of Liberty were urging non-purchase and non-consumption of British goods, the word “boycott” had not yet entered the English language. That would not occur until a century later, in 1880, when Irish farm laborers refused to work for George C. Boycott, the agent of an absentee landlord. You only have to say “non-purchase/non-consumption” once or twice before you realize what a great invention “boycott” was. Meanwhile, historical re-enactors who turn out in 18th-century garb struggle to stop our tongues before using the word. If only Samuel Adams had given us something better than “non-purchase/non-consumption.”

By Craig Donaldson

During the summer of 1774, citizens of Lincoln were wrestling with a momentous decision.  Earlier in the year, the British Parliament imposed draconian measures to control the increasingly restive citizenry of Boston and Massachusetts. The Coercive Acts were passed in May, closing Boston Harbor and ending self-government in the colony. Town meetings including Lincoln’s were limited to one annual session for electing town officers and assigning taxes. No other issues could be discussed unless approved by the royal governor.

Official copies of the Coercive Acts had arrived in Boston in July and were promptly imposed by the newly appointed royal governor, General Thomas Gage. When the elected Massachusetts legislature met to protest the acts, General Gage dissolved the legislature. In August 1774, Gage attempted to appoint his own governing council, but patriots applied “persuasion” and convinced the appointees to resign.

Across the colony, these developments stirred debate around dinner tables and in meeting houses, taverns, and churches. At stake was the willingness of each citizen to defy laws handed down by Parliament and enforced by arbitrary authorities without representation or consent from those subject to the laws.

Years before, in response to the Stamp Act in 1765, patriots had responded by refusing to buy British goods.  The strategy seemed to work then, so in June 1774, Boston’s Committee of Correspondence once again called upon all towns to adopt a pledge not to purchase or consume any British goods. In response, Lincoln’s Committee of Correspondence, established by Town Meeting in November 1773, drafted a pledge in August 1774 for all adult men to sign:

“We the Subscriber Inhabitants of the Town of Lincoln do sincerely and truly covenant and agree to and with each other that we will not for ourselves or any for or under us, purchase or consume any Goods, Wares or Manufactures which shall be imported from Great Britain after the thirty first day of August seventeen hundred and seventy four, until the Congress of Deputies from the Several Colony shall determine what articles if any to except, that we will thereafter, respecting Use and Consumption of such British articles as may not be excepted, religiously abide by the Determinations of said Congress.”

When it came time to sign the pledge, 77 of the estimated 120 adult men stepped forward and put their names on the document. Though by no means universally supported, this pledge put a majority of the voters of Lincoln in active public defiance of British rule.

Addendum by Donald Hafner of the Lincoln Historical Society:

At the time when the Sons of Liberty were urging non-purchase and non-consumption of British goods, the word “boycott” had not yet entered the English language. That would not occur until a century later, in 1880, when Irish farm laborers refused to work for George C. Boycott, the agent of an absentee landlord. You only have to say “non-purchase/non-consumption” once or twice before you realize what a great invention “boycott” was. Meanwhile, historical re-enactors who turn out in 18th-century garb struggle to stop our tongues before using the word. If only Samuel Adams had given us something better than “non-purchase/non-consumption.”

“Lincoln’s History” is an occasional column by members of the Lincoln Historical Society.

An archeologist at Minute Man NHP holds a 1887 musket ball they just unearthed.

Editor’s note: This is an edited version of a press release from Minute Man National Historical Park.

Visitors to Minute Man National Historical Park on Saturday, July 13 can see five recently discovered musket balls that were fired during the world-changing event known as “The Shot Heard ’Round the World” on April 19, 1775.

Early analysis of the 18th-century musket balls discovered by National Park Service archeologists indicates they were fired by colonial militia members at British forces during the North Bridge fight in Concord. The battle site within Minute Man NHP marks the moment when provincial militia leaders ordered members to fire upon their own government’s soldiers for the first time.

The musket balls were discovered by archeologists conducting compliance activities in preparation for the park’s Great American Outdoors Act project. They were found in an area where, according to contemporary accounts, British soldiers formed up to resist the river crossing. Further analysis of the musket balls indicates that each one was fired from the opposite side of the river and not dropped during the process of reloading.

“It’s incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world almost 250 years ago,” said Minute Man Park Ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss. “These musket balls can be considered collectively as ‘The Shot Heard ’Round the World,’ and it’s incredible that they have survived this long. It’s also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history.”

Visitors can learn more about the musket balls at Minute Man NHP on Saturday, July 13 during the park’s Archeology Day events in Lincoln and Concord (they will be on view in Concord):

 Minute Man Visitor Center (210 North Great Rd., Lincoln)

• 11:00 a.m. — “Investigating Hallowed Ground: Battlefield Archeology at Minute Man National Historical Park,” with Joel Dukes of the NPS Northeast Region Archeology Program. 
• 1:00 p.m. — “Arms, Ammunition, and Archaeology: A Scientific Look at April 19, 1775” with Joel Bohy, director of Historic Arms & Militaria at Blackstone Valley Auctions.

North Bridge Visitor Center (174 Liberty St., Concord)

• 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Members of the public can view the musket balls on display at the North Bridge Visitor Center. Visitors can talk to park curators about the musket balls and the science behind preserving them.
• 2:30 p.m. — “North Bridge Battle Walk” — visitors can join park rangers for an interactive walking tour tracing the footsteps and the archaeology of those who fought at the North Bridge on April 19, 1775.

On that day, roughly 800 British soldiers marched from Boston to Concord to destroy military supplies that colonial rebels had gathered. Thousands of local militia members intercepted the British advance thanks to a system of midnight riders who gave warning the night before. Near dawn, a brief encounter between militia members and British soldiers on Lexington Green left eight militia dead and 10 wounded. Once the British regulars arrived in Concord, a detachment of roughly 200 redcoats marched over the North Bridge as they headed for the home of Col. James Barrett. British informants believed Barrett had stockpiled military goods on his farm, including several artillery pieces. At the North Bridge, British forces left 96 soldiers to protect the river crossing.

Soon, the number of militia members and local Minute Men grew on the hills northwest of Concord. A plume of smoke rising above the town center spurred the militia into action, as they feared British troops had started to burn the colonists’ homes. The militia loaded their weapons and began to march. As the head of the militia neared the North Bridge, the British soldiers panicked and began firing. Musket balls began to hit the provincial soldiers, and Maj. John Buttrick of Concord issued his famous order: “Fire, fellow soldiers! For God’s sake, fire!” The militia fired heavily into the British ranks and charged across the bridge.

Under heavy gunfire, the British ranks dissolved, and the soldiers retreated to their reinforcements near Concord center. The fighting at the North Bridge lasted less than three minutes, but when the smoke cleared, 18 men lay dead or wounded. Three British soldiers killed in the engagement remain buried in Concord to this day.

The recent archaeological survey was conducted by trained professionals using scientific techniques specifically meant to preserve and document the findings within their archaeological context. Metal detecting, relic hunting, and other forms of looting are strictly prohibited on NPS land. The NPS is reminding visitors that violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act can result in felony charges, including up to five years in prison and fines of more than $100,000. Click here to learn more about ARPA and the ethics of protecting resources in Minute Man National Historical Park visit 

The event is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park. For more background, images and timelines about the battle on April 19, 1775, click here. To learn about the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution at Minute Man National Historical Park in 2025, click here.

The Old North Bridge at dawn.

The Old Town Hall has wandered quite a bit in its 175 years. It was built in 1848 at a time when Lincoln needed a new civic gathering place. Until then, the town had used the original meetinghouse built in 1746 where today’s stone church now stands. The new Town House was built opposite the meetinghouse across Bedford Road, with its classic Greek Revival colonnade facing south over the town common, toward the town well and where the Minute Men had mustered in 1775 (photo #1). There it stood for forty years, witness to the Transcendentalist and Abolitionist movements, the Civil War, industrialization, and the early gentrification of Lincoln. It was a witness as well when the old meetinghouse burned to the ground in 1859.

1. The future Old Town Hall in its original location.

In 1891, when George Bemis gave the town funds to build a new civic center, the Old Town Hall was put up for purchase. James L. Chapin (1824‑1902) bought the structure, moved it down the hill to a site just north of the today’s white church (photo #2), and put it to good use as a general store, post office and gathering place. Chapin’s son George continued the business until his death in 1918. The building was then purchased by Charles S. Smith. Again, the structure was jacked up and moved to its current site on Lincoln Road. Remarkably, as the building was moved down the hill in stages on rollers and props, the store and post office remained open, with planks set up for customer access during business hours (photo #3).

2. The Greek Revival building after it was moved closer to the white church in 1891.

The Old Town Hall continued as post office and general store for much of the twentieth century (photo #4), operated by Elmer A. and Charles L. Rollins and finally by Alfred M. Davis. In the 1950s there were two gas pumps out front, the post office and post boxes inside on the right, glass candy counter and racks of cigars and bagged snacks with canned goods and necessities on shelves on the left, and a walk-in refrigerated room and meat counter with a hamburger grinder plus an ice cream/popsicle freezer in the back of the building. The second floor was at various times occupied by law and real estate offices and a small publisher. A watering trough outside was a stopover for horses, at least one of which was known to eat popsicles, spitting out the sticks. Needless to say, kids on foot or bicycle found the store a perfect place to spend their weekly allowance.

3. The building remained open while it was moved for the second time in about 1919.

As the Davis era came to an end, the building was acquired in 1962 by the nonprofit Old Town Hall Corporation. Residents still come by daily to pick up their mail, just as they did in the Chapin era. The Old Town Hall Exchange offers an eclectic collection of interesting items for sale, many on consignment, as well as antiques displayed in the basement.

4. The Old Town Hall in the 1960s, complete with gas pumps.

Around 1990, the original glass display cases so memorably used for candy and cigars in the Chapin/Davis era were moved to the library for use. A decade later, they were judged unsafe for the library and were on the verge of being thrown into a dumpster when they were rescued and moved back to the Old Town Hall, where they’re being reutilized by the Exchange in their old location.

“Lincoln’s History” is an occasional column by members of the Lincoln Historical Society.

By the Lincoln250 Planning Committee

In May 1773, the British Parliament passed the widely unpopular Tea Act, and in December that same year, nearly 100 patriots dumped an entire shipment of East India Company tea into the Boston Harbor.

Four days after the Destruction of the Tea and again a week later, Lincoln’s Town Meeting took up a request from Boston leaders for the town’s support. The town’s own Committee of Correspondence drafted a reply, and Town Meeting members deliberated over the draft text. They were cautious about endorsing the destruction of private property, but they nevertheless approved a stirring response: “We cannot therefor but Commend the Spirited behaviour of the town of Boston in Endeavouring to prevent the sale of the East India Company’s teas by Endeavouring to perswade the Consigners to Resign their office or any other Lawfull means.” In addition, Lincoln residents resolved neither to purchase nor use tea so long as there was a duty on it, and to “hold and esteem such as Do use such tea Enemies to their Country.” ¹

On December 16, 2023, Boston will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Destruction of the Tea (the “Boston Tea Party” phrase was coined in the 1830s). On this day at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, 46 tons of tea (valued at £9,659 — roughly $2 million today) was dumped over the sides of three British ships. Britain retaliated by passing the Coercive Acts, which were meant to end the rebellion in New England, but the opposite happened. Within months the “shot heard around the world” rang out in Concord. This marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

To learn more about the history of the Boston Tea Party or see upcoming events to celebrate the 250th, please click on the links below:

• Revolution250
• Minute Man National Historical Park
• National Park Service

Thank you to the Lincoln Library for recently hosting two events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party! To learn more about Lincoln250 or watch for upcoming events in or around Lincoln to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the historic battles of Lexington and Concord, see the Lincoln250 website.
 
¹ MacLean, John C. (1987). A Rich Harvest: The History, Buildings, and People of Lincoln, Massachusetts (Lincoln Historical Society).