A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day......Sept 26, 07....Massachusetts ~ "The Old Bay State"

Mama_Bear | JustAmy | The Mayor

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 200,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

We're
"On the Road Again"...

Please join "A Few of FR's Finest" as we make a cyber-visit to another state in this great Union of ours.

These are the states
we have presented to date:

05-23-03 Alabama 06-27-03 Maryland 07-11-03 Vermont 07-25-03 Utah 08-05-03 Texas 08-22-03 Nevada 08-26-03 Wash DC 09-05-03 Tennessee 09-17-03 Florida 09-19-03 Minnesota 10-03-03 New Mexico 10-14-03 Georgia 10-17-03 Louisiana 10-22-03 Michigan 11-04-03 South Dakota 11-14-03 California 01-09-04 South Carolina

02-06-04 West Virginia 02-20-04 Oregon 03-09-04 Pennsylvania 03-30-04 Wyoming 04-13-04 Mississippi 04-27-04 Missouri 05-25-04 Indiana 07-21-04 Virginia 08-18-04 Colorado 09-29-04 Idaho 10-20-04 New Hampshire 12-07-04 Hawaii 02-09-05 Maine 03-09-05 North Carolina 04-13-05 Arizona 06-15-05 Iowa 10-19-05 Alaska

"I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachusetts; she needs none. There she is. Behold her, and judge for yourselves. There is her history; the world knows it by heart. The past, at least, is secure. There is Boston and Concord and Lexington and Bunker Hill; and there they will remain forever." -- Daniel Webster, 1830

"By the sword we seek peace,
but peace only under liberty."

On November 19, 1620, a shout went up aboard the Mayflower: "Land!" Everyone rushed on deck. Barely visible many miles away a strip of shoreline could be seen. The Pilgrims dropped to their knees and wept with joy, thanking God. After sixty-six days and nights on the Atlantic, God had delivered them to the New World. Two days later the vessel reached Provincetown Bay in what would become the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The 102 settlers aboard the Mayflower hold a rightly revered place in the history of America. Before disembarking, before even setting foot on the new land, these settlers blazed a new trail in participatory government, a trail that would guide a new nation toward democracy.

On November 21, 1620, the Pilgrims and other colonists met in the cabin of the ship and forty-one men signed an agreement that became known as the Mayflower Compact. This was the earliest attempt at self-government in the New World.

Click the graphic below....

From June through September of 1692, nineteen men and women, all having been convicted of witchcraft, were carted to Gallows Hill, a barren slope near Salem Village, for hanging. Another man of over eighty years was pressed to death under heavy stones for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges. Hundreds of others faced accusations of witchcraft; dozens languished in jail for months without trials until the hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts subsided.

Fast-forward to 1775 and the
Revolutionary War

Click here for an excellent
Revolutionary War Time Line




***Touring Massachusetts***

Massachusetts is special in New England as the epicenter of several major chapters of Colonial and Revolutionary War history. Visitors can see the rock where the Mayflower supposedly landed in Plymouth; examine the sites of the 1692 Witch Trials in Salem; see where Henry David Thoreau developed his ideas about living close to nature in Walden; and walk the paths where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in Lexington and Concord.

When visiting Boston, be sure to take "The Freedom Trail". It is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure.

Freedom Trail Information
Historic Homes and Sites
90 Great Things to do in Massachusetts
Visiting Salem
Massachusetts Beaches

Cape Cod lays claim to the majority of cranberry production in the United States. Its history began back when the Indians introduced cranberries to the Pilgrims in the early 1600s. The Pilgrims learned the benefits of cranberries quickly and began using them as a remedy against scurvy--similar to the way the English used limes. A recipe for cranberry sauce first appeared in The Pilgrim Cookbook in 1633 and forty-four years later ten bushels were sent back to King Charles II of England. The Pilgrims made other uses for cranberries including using the fruit to make dyes and poultices and whalers and residents used cranberries as a major source of Vitamin C.

More information available at Time for Cranberries

Thank you, JustAmy, for your research
and contributions on the subject
of Massachusetts cranberries! :-)


Apples and cranberries are a delightful combination!

Two-crust piecrust
12 oz. cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup maple sugar
6 cups sliced apples
1/4 cup arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp. cold water

Line a 9-inch pie plate with piecrust dough and reserve the rest for making lattice. Place cranberries and maple sugar in a saucepan. Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/2-inch slices; add the slices to the cranberry/maple sugar mixture (which could also be called a syrup) as you go. Bring syrup to a boil and cook, stirring, for several minutes until cranberries begin to pop. Stirring constantly and quickly so not to create lumps, add the arrowroot/water mixture and cook another minute more, continuing to stir. Let cool slightly. Pour into pie shell. Make a lattice to cover the cranberry/apple mixture and bake at 350°F degrees for about 45 minutes.

• 552 original documents pertaining to the Salem witch trials of 1692 have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum.
   
• Boston built the first subway system in the United States in 1897.
   
• Although over 30 communities in the colonies eventually renamed themselves to honor Benjamin Franklin. The Massachusetts Town of Franklin was the first and changed its name in 1778.
   
• Norfolk County is the birthplace of four United States presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Herbert Walker Bush.
   
• The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts.
   
• The visible portion of Plymouth Rock is a lumpy fragment of glacial moraine about the size of a coffee table, with the date 1620 cut into its surface. After being broken, dragged about the town of Plymouth by ox teams used to inspire Revolution-aries, and reverently gouged and scraped by 19th-century souvenir hunters, it is now at rest near the head of Plymouth Harbor.
   
• The Basketball Hall Of Fame is located in Springfield.
   
• The American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Lowell was America's first planned industrial city.
   
• 1634: Boston Common became the first public park in America.
   
• 1891: The first basketball game was played in Springfield.
   
• Massachusetts holds the two largest cites in New England, Boston, the largest, and Worcester.
   
• The creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was formerly private town and state owned land, marked the first time the federal government purchased land for a park.
   
• Robert Goddard, inventor of the first liquid fueled rocket, was born and lived much of his life in Worcester and launched the first rocket fueled with liquid fuel from the neighboring town of Auburn.
   
• Quincy boasts the first Dunkin Donuts on Hancock Street and the first Howard Johnson's on Newport Ave.
   
• Glaciers formed the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard during the ice age.
   
• The first U.S.Postal zip code in Massachusetts is 01001 at Agawam.
   
• Brewster has become the de facto "Wedding Capital of Cape Cod" because of its many small and larger inns that cater to weddings.
   
• The birth control pill was invented at Clark University in Worcester.
   
• The signs along the Massachusetts Turnpike reading "x miles to Boston" refer to the distance from that point to the gold dome of the state house.
   
• Harvard was the first college established in North America. Harvard was founded in 1636.
   
• In 1838 the Boston & West Worcester Railroad was the first railroad to charge commuter fares.
   
• The Boston University Bridge on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.
   
• John Adams and John Quincy Adams are buried in the crypt at the United First Parish Church in Quincy.
   
• Princeton was named after the Reverend Thomas Prince, Pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, and one of the first proprietors of the town. Princeton was incorporated in 1759.
   
• The Pilgrim National Wax Museum in Plymouth is the only wax museum devoted entirely to the Pilgrim's story.
   
• In 1908, Miss Caroline O. Emmerton purchased The House of the Seven Gables - built in 1668 - restored it to its present state and, in 1910, opened the site to the touring public. The seven-gabled house inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his famous novel of the same name.
   
• The Boston Tea Party reenactment takes place in Boston Harbor every December 16th.
   
• Balance Rock in Lanesborough is named in honor of a 25' x 15' x 10 boulder that balances upon a small stone below it.
   
• The 3rd Monday in April is a legal holiday in Massachusetts called Patriot's Day, the day the Boston Marathon is held each year.
   
• The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621.
   
• Charles Goodyear in Woburn first vulcanized rubber in 1839.
   
• Elias Howe of Boston invented the first sewing machine in 1845.
   
• The first nuclear-powered surface vessel, USS Long Beach CG (N) 9, was launched at Quincy in 1961.
   
• The USS Constitution 'Old Ironsides', the oldest fully commissioned vessel in the US Navy is permanently berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard.
   
• Revere Beach was the first public beach in the United States and is host to Suffolk Downs horse racing track, Wonderland dog racing track and a 14-screen cinema complex.
   
• The official state dessert of Massachusetts is Boston cream pie.
   
• Milford is known the world over for its unique pink granite, discovered in the 1870's and quarried for many years to grace the exteriors of museums, government buildings, monuments and railroad stations.
  

With appreciation to the following
websites for text and images...

Puritans Become Pilgrims
Salemweb.com
Visit New England
Massachusetts Facts and Trivia





And a special 'thank you' to JustAmy and The Mayor for
their contributions to our cyber-visit to Massachusetts.

03-27-07 ~ Hall of Fame #19 ~ Final

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 09-24,25-07 Military Tribute

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Wheelbarrow]

As a person born and raised in Massachusetts (and a historical/government “buff” on the State), I’d like to congratulate you on a most complete and accurate presentation. You might add THAYER ACADEMY in Braintree was founded by Gen. Sylvanus Thayer (first Superintendent of West Point). The first FACTORY in our colonies (now a historical site)was over the Neponset River (so it could get power) between Milton and Dorchester; for years, before new owners more recently closed it, it was the place Bakers Chocolate came from. DR, GODDARD(the rocket man) was a professor at CLARK UNIV. at the time he developed the rocket. HARVARD COLLEGE was written into the (still existing) CONSTITUTION of the State. The FIRST RAILROAD in the colonies ran between a granite quarry in W. Quincy and the Neponset River so blocks could be transported to Charlestown to build the BUNKER HILL MONUMENT; parts of the railroad (iron slabs) still exist as a historical site. Great job on your part Bill

[Lady Jag]

This voice from the Bay State says, "Thank you. Great job!"

[Wheelbarrow]

My father was a “colonial” church architect specializing in restorations; churches, such as this, were often inspirations for churches he designed (I spent many hours w/him as he precisely measured these old treasures). Bil

[DollyCali]

The pressure is on Dutchess.. we can’t let our little sistah GeeBee do NY before we do Ohio..

great table etc Billie.. We see how Lori has done a magnificent job of doing the bulk of the work on these. I recall the last time I wnet to the state sites they were all so informative & fun.

It was interesting too as I recall to see the evolution of HTML & graphic skills with you Lori..

Just got back from 74 year old neighbor’s funeral. He will killed in auto accident on Friday. American success story. 12 years formal education from poor family. Began & developed a major industrial area & manufacturing plant in area.. Nice family. The wrong neighbor met his maker if a vote were to be taken in neighborhood.

[JustAmy]

Happy Warm Fuzzy Massachusetts Wednesday, everyone.

"At the Northern-most tip of Cape Ann lies the colorful seaside village of Rockport. The town is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on three sides with Boston just about 40 miles away. Shops and galleries surround Rockport's charming harbor, which is still home to an active fishing fleet. the town is one of the country's oldest artist colonies, and boasts some of the most widely painted seaside landscapes in the world, including the coastal shack known as Motif #1."

About 15 years ago, a friend and I visited New England. Most of our Massachusetts time was spent in the historical areas of Boston, Concord, Lexington and Salem. I need to plan another trip to visit the beautiful small towns.

[DollyCali]

some of you have met wheelbarrow.. Here are two of his scanned pix from his Honor Flight trip to DC a few weeks ago. He was one of 700 WW2 vets from around USA. They try to have groups every month. The first one is of Bill & Bob Dole & the second of his "tour group" from the Akron/Canton/New Philadelphia area.

[DollyCali]

Hey you!!!!!

so good to see you dropping in. I dont get here as often as I should but it is always nice to see my friends here. This is one of the nice threads where nice folks hang..

[DollyCali]

oh my that candy looks good dita! I get Maple Syrup now & then & guess I have seen the candy.. so the sugar is the candy? I dont do too much specialty shopping.

I went to my first Italian deli/bakery a few weeks ago & was in awe. Brought home all sorts of goodies..

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Amy :) They are such beautiful small towns. I need to do another trip to New England too.

FR is extremely slow right now. Hope it isn't going down.

[GodBlessUSA]

Terrific Pictures. What a wonderful time you all must have had. Congratulations Wheel Barrow. God Bless and thank you for protecting America!

[STARWISE]

Oh my goodness ... this is spectacular!! The history is profound. Thank you for all that hard work about my home state. It's so beautifully done ... outstanding!

Agawam, MA .. my old hometown ... geographical reference.

Capt. Charles Leonard House ~ historical structure on Main St.

"This historic structure dates from 1805 and was admitted to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

It was originally a tavern on the road from Hartford to points north where stage coaches deposited their tired passengers for overnight rest and refreshment before continuing on the next day with a fresh team of horses.

Restored in 1938, it boasts original fireplaces and woodwork and is furnished with many pieces of authentic furniture, making it well worth a visit in its own right. It now serves as a Community House for the Town of Agawam and, in its present state, offers a room capable of holding 75 people for events of various sorts."

Over the bridge to Springfield, MA

History and Points of Interest

A favorite hangout .. Riverside Amusement Park ..eventually bought and completely upgraded by Six Flags

Interesting history of the The Connecticut Valley ~ Springfield, Agawam, Westfield areas of Western Massachusetts ~ Starts on Pg. 283

~~~~~~~

Thank you again for this lovely page.

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Lady Jag :)

[STARWISE]

The front of the Old North Church ... if bricks could talk.

Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

Additionally, the Old North Church makes its entrance in the very next stanza:

He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the NorthChurch tower as a signal light,
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

[JustAmy]

"it was the place Bakers Chocolate came from."

This reminds me of a story that I had almost forgotten .... My girlfriend and I arrived at Logan about 10:00pm. After getting directions from the car rental company, we left the airport area and immediately got lost. :)

We saw a security guard so stopped to ask him how to get to our motel. His directions were go past the "old chocolate factory", turn left at the ??? road and the hiway was within 1/2 mile.

We drove for awhile but had no idea if we had seen the old chocolate factory or not. We finally found a phone and called the motel for directions. We arrived between 11:30 and 12:00.

After that, we laughed whenever we couldn't find a certain place and would say, it is just past the old chocolate factory.

Massachusetts and New England was a wonderful experience.

Hopefully I will get back there some day.

[Mama_Bear]

he little town I spent a few days near on that wintry long ago was Williamsburg ... classic little burg it was, too.

I googled Williamsburg and found it is fairly near Pittsfield, where some of my husband's family comes from. Very pretty area!

My family is from a bit further east; Ashland. My was grandmother born in Lynn, my grandfather in Southbridge. My dad's family were Irish immigrants who settled in the Weymouth area. Massachusetts is definitely in my blood. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

Oh.....that looks good! Looks like it would melt in your mouth. :-)

[Diver Dave]

Outstanding presentation, Mama Bear.

Been to Massachusetts only one time back in ‘95 when I was a chaparone for a group of high school exchange students. Would loved to have seen more, but we were on a pretty tight schedule.

[JustAmy]

I loved New England! :)

Being a native Californian, I found the small, clean and quaint towns and villages a pleasure to visit.

We visited in October so the leaves had changed or were changing. The villages all had little white churches and were nestled in the rolling hills.

[JustAmy]

Walking the FReedom Trail, took us to many of the historical buildings. We toured the Old North Church and saw Paul Revere’s house.

I’ve forgotten, where is the House of Seven Gables? I think we were on a bus tour of Boston. Darn memory!

[Mama_Bear]

Simply Supurb, Lori!

Thanks, Billie......and WOW what a lot of time you must have put into that map!! I cannot believe that so many states have been profiled. You're right, we really do need to finish them up.

I'd like to have dibs on Illinois and Montana. Wolfie can probably help me some with Illinois, since he has said he knows that state well, and my daughter-in-law is from Montana, so I can get some input from her on her state. I started on Kentucky but never finished it, guess I could finish that one up too. The rest of them I will leave to the other sistahs. :-)