[ExGeeEye]

By the rude bridge that arch'd the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurl'd,
Here the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard 'round the world.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare to die,
And leave their children free,
Bid time and nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
---Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had heard that the bridge had fallen due to "time and nature". I'm glad to hear that either that was wrong or it has been rebuilt.

[Lil'freeper]

Good morning!

Izzit Friday yet?

[RosieCotton]

Wonderful poem to start the day!

Glad to see your picture made it up last night! Boy...am I behind on posting!

[SuziQ]

I had heard that the bridge had fallen due to "time and nature". >

I'm sure the original one had fallen, but there's a nice new one. We took our kids there two years ago on a homeschool 'field trip'. We met at the Battle Road visitors center, walked the road taken by Paul Revere and Joseph Warren on their ride to raise the Minutemen. I didn't know until that trip that Paul Revere never made it to Concord. He was captured by the British and held for several hours, but let go because he happened to be unarmed. His wife had convinced him to leave his pistol at home before he left on his ride. Fortuitous, huh? When he was released, instead of continuing West toward Concord, he went north to raise the alarm to the towns in that direction.

At the North Bridge, the kids did an interactive program where the Guide gave several of the kids cards with someone's name and a quote on it. As he went through the explanation of what was happening, he would prompt the kids to read the cards. Then at the end, he had them divide into two groups, and they pretended to be the Minutemen and the 'Regulars' (British) and ran at each other in a mock battle at the Bridge. It was one of the more interesting lessons I've ever had, and I was just a spectator!

[Wneighbor]

I remember hearing that verse as a kid and getting goosebumpy and teary-eyed even before I had a real understanding of it. I had forgotten it. Thanks for posting it!

[ExGeeEye]

...and sorry if you were interested but weren't included...

Thanks to ecurbh and H.o.t.Dog :) I have uploaded a low-quality mp3 of the Concord Hymn we've been talking about.

[Ramius]

I had heard that the bridge had fallen due to "time and nature". I'm glad to hear that either that was wrong or it has been rebuilt.

From what I could see it appeared to be mostly original timbers, though there are clearly places where maintenance has been done over the years.

For me the visit there was really spooky, in a good way. I was alone for the most part, with few if any other tourists around. It was eerily quiet... and I just stood there soaking in the concept that "it all started *right* *here*."

It was similar in some ways to visits I had to the battlefields around Yorktown, VA. Sometimes history just shouts at you from those places, and in your minds' eye you can "see" it all happening all around you. What a sight it must have been...

Howdy all! I'm still catching up... [sip]