In Massachusetts (and Maine) the Patriots' Day holiday commemorates the
anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles
of the American Revolutionary War. These battles occurred on
April 19, but since 1969, Patriots' Day has been observed on the third
Monday in April, providing a three-day weekend. In 2011,
Patriots' Day was Monday April 18.
The Town of Arlington held their Patriots' Day parade on Sunday April
17, which we attended.
A crowd gathering alongside Massachusetts Avenue (locally, always "Mass.
Ave.") in Arlington, waiting for the parade to arrive. The
parade starts on Mass. Ave. at Brattle Street, proceeds east
for about 1.5 miles, and ends on Mass. Ave. at Adams Street.
Click any picture for a larger image.
Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, looking east (toward Cambridge).
This is at Palmer Street, near the end of the parade route.
The white tower in the distance is a church. Mass.
Ave. is Arlington's main thoroughfare. The
typically heavy automobile traffic has been detoured, and it
is unusual to see the road this empty! Mass. Ave. starts in Boston, and runs 16 miles
uninterrupted through
Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, and Lexington. It continues
northwest
and west, through many different cities and towns, all the way into
central Massachusetts, with a few gaps at towns that
have different
names for the central road.
Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, looking west (toward Lexington).
The reddish tower in the distance is East Arlington's fire
station. On the night of April 18-19,
1775, the night of Paul Revere's "Midnight Ride", William Dawes rode by this very spot!
Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent (separately) from Boston to
Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams of the movements of the
British Army. Revere crossed the Charles River north into Charlestown,
and then rode though present-day Somerville, Medford, and Arlington to
Lexington. Revere's northern route joins Mass. Ave. at Menotomy (now
Arlington Center) about 0.5 mile west of this spot. William Dawes was
sent the long way around, via the Boston Neck and the land route to
Lexington. He came through Cambridge on Mass. Ave. to Menotomy, following 30 minutes behind Revere up Mass.
Ave. toward Lexington.
On
Patriots' Day, the National Lancers reenact the rides of Paul Revere
and William Dawes. 2011 will be their 234th reenactment!
Paul Revere is represented by two riders, the first riding from
the North End to Medford, and the second riding from Medford through
Arlington to Lexington. William Dawes is also represented by two
riders, the first riding from Roxbury to Arlington, and the second
riding from Arlington to Lexington. In the reenactment, each
rider is also joined by an outrider (escort). Here is a 20-second
video clip of the reenactment from 2009, with "Paul Revere" riding
through Arlington Center on his way to Lexington. But his
modern-day escort looks like a Redcoat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlh5wTDgh_k
In
this picture taken at the 2009 reenactment of Paul Revere's ride,
"Paul Revere" (Richard Reale of the National Lancers) rides through
Somerville on Patriots' Day. After meeting with Hancock and
Adams in Lexington, Revere and Dawes
decided to ride on toward Concord, where the militia's arsenal was
hidden. They were joined by Samuel Prescott, a doctor who
happened to
be in Lexington "returning from a lady friend's house at the awkward
hour of 1 a.m.". Revere, Dawes, and Prescott were stopped by
British
troops in Lincoln at a roadblock on the way to Concord. Prescott
jumped his horse over a wall, escaped, and completed his ride to warn
the residents of Concord. Dawes also escaped, but soon thereafter
fell
off his horse and did not complete his ride. Revere attempted to
escape but was captured and taken by the British back toward Lexington.
The warnings delivered by the three riders successfully allowed
the
militia to repel the British troops in Concord, who were then harried
by guerrilla fire along the road back to Boston.
Digressing a bit, there is even a Mass. Ave. on the
westernmost tip of the small island of Nantucket. It carries a tad less
traffic than Mass. Ave. in Arlington.
Back to the parade, one of several street vendors working the parade. The green
plastic vuvuzelas were popular this year.
Many of the utility poles along the parade route were decorated with
flags.
The weather was sunny, but brisk. This resourceful mother
shares her sweatshirt with her son.
A color guard opens the parade.
Numerous fire trucks lead the parade. Arlington's fire
department is joined by fire departments from several neighboring towns.
The firemen throw candy from their trucks to the waiting children.
The children scramble into the street (!?) to collect it.
Arlington fire department equipment.
Cambridge fire department equipment. Cambridge is
Arlington's southeastern neighbor.
Malden fire department equipment. Malden is two towns east of
Arlington, where "everyone is welcome, but none more so than the
businessmen and investors who shape our society of the future".
Medford fire department equipment. This older-style truck is
still in excellent condition. Medford is one town east of
Arlington.
There are two things in this picture that you see all over
Massachusetts -- Minute Men, and a Dunkin' Donuts store.
These are the Menotomy Minute Men, a group organized to
"perpetuate the memory and achievements" of the Minute Men of Menotomy
(now Arlington) in 1775. Menotomy's Minute Men under Captain
Benjamin Locke were the first to answer Revere's midnight
alarm. Later that day, when the British were forcing their
way back from Concord and Lexington toward Boston and passed through
Menotomy for the second time, it became "... the bloodiest half-mile of
all the Battle Road". More Redcoats and Patriots were killed
and wounded in Menotomy that day than in all other towns combined.
Long overlooked Menotomy is where the action really was on
April 19, 1775.
Anywhere large numbers of people gather in Massachusetts, politicians
appear. They alternate between kissing babies and stealing
their lollipops. The gentleman in the center of the picture
in the dark jacket is Congressman Ed Markey, US Representative for
Massachusetts's 7th congressional district, including most of Boston's
northern and western suburbs. To Ed's left is Sean Garballey,
Massachusetts State Representative for the 23rd Middlesex District
representing Arlington and West Medford. Just visible to Ed's
right is Ken Donnelly, Massachusetts State Senator for the 4th
Middlesex District, which includes Arlington and several other cities.
This squad of young soldiers drew the loudest applause of any group in the
parade.
A group of veterans march in the parade.
American Legion Band, Post 156, from Waltham, Massachusetts.
Here is a 30-second video clip of the American Legion Band marching in
the parade.
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Or
if you would prefer to download a video file, right-click
this large
.wmv file
(19 MB) or this small
.wmv
file (9 MB) or and select "Save Target As".
This two-sided Operation Home Times "Faces of Remembrance" float is a
traveling tribute, honoring the memory of all fallen Massachusetts
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have served since September
11, 2001.
On the Operation Home Times "Faces of Remembrance" float, a hand-drawn
Memory Portrait represents every Massachusetts solder who has fallen
since September 11, 2001.
The Shriners were well-represented at the parade. The
Shriners work to provide money for Shriners Hospitals. This
is the Shriners Oriental Band, whose mission is to "provide a Middle
Eastern flair of music and a source of entertainment".
These miniature 18-wheeler trucks are always popular with the kids.
The Shriners demonstrate their formation-driving skills with their
miniature cars.
Also marching in the parade was the Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG),
whose mission includes "advocating for the rights and interests of
Arlington dog owners". An hour into the parade, this dog was
eager for more.
Arlington Pop Warner cheerleaders.
Arlington Youth Baseball (Little League) players.
Arlington Scouts.
It's Elmo !
Arlington Youth Baseball and Softball Association (formerly Arlington
Little League), the Orioles team in the American Division.
Knights of Columbus march in the parade.
Knights of Jedi march in the parade.
This classic car features a handy folding outside rumble seat.
More antique cars on parade.
There were eight different bands in the parade.
Here is a 25-second video clip of a band marching in
the parade.
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________________________________________________________________________________
Or
if you would prefer to download a video file, right-click
this large .wmv
file
(18 MB) or this small
.wmv
file (8 MB) or and select "Save Target As".
This is the Filarmónica Santo António band from Cambridge.
Here is a 25-second video clip of the Filarmónica Santo
António band marching in
the parade.
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________________________________________________________________________________
Or
if you would prefer to download a video file, right-click
this large
.wmv
file
(17 MB) or this small
.wmv
file (8 MB) or and select "Save Target As".
Arlington Thompson Elementary School scout troop 5222.
Arlington Stratton Elementary School scout troop 103.
Arlington Peirce Elementary School scout troop 71065.
More scout troops. The stage coach in the distance is
bringing up the rear of the parade.
Wells Fargo horse-drawn stage coach.
Here is a 40-second video clip of the Wells Fargo horse-drawn
stage coach, followed by the Hot Tamale Brass Band of Cambridge.
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________________________________________________________________________________
Or
if you would prefer to download a video file, right-click
this large
.wmv
file
(26 MB) or this small
.wmv
file (12 MB) or and select "Save Target As".
This is the trailer for the Wells Fargo stage coach horses.
They travel in style.
Chunky, an 8-week old Shih Tzu, was probably the youngest audience
member at the parade.
