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Named in 1635, Concord is an old
historic town on the western axis of suburban Boston. Located at the
junction of the Concord/Sudbury/Assabet Rivers, Concord was settled
early by the English as a frontier outpost of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony and was the first interior, non-tidal water town in
Massachusetts. The community had also been the site of seasonal
Indian camps because of the plentiful runs of shad, salmon and
herring. Concord still retains many well-preserved colonial houses,
nine of them on or near Concord green and witnesses of the famous
Battle of Concord. In this historic battle which ushered in the
Revolutionary War, a column of British infantry was badly mauled by
colonists during a 16-mile long running battle that saw 273 British
and 95 American dead. Concord also has a significant literary
history, having been the home of the leaders of the intellectual
movements of 19th century America. Louisa May Alcott, Bronson
Alcott, Emerson and Hawthorne lived in Concord at one time or
another and Thoreau wrote his internationally known philosophical
treatise at Walden Pond in Concord. Concord evolved from a frontier
town into a prosperous regional center with a mixed society
including small yeoman farmers, affluent gentry and immigrants from
Italy and Norway. There are high-style, handsome houses as relics of
this affluent society along with some country estates. One of the
well-preserved sights in the community is the Victorian Gothic state
prison built in 1878 and still housing prisoners. Skyrocketing land
prices in the real estate boom of the 1980's resulted from Concord's
proximity to Boston and the 128 technical/industrial corridor,
coupled with a vigorous regional economy. Considerable concern is
felt by Concord residents about the pressures on the town from its
significant tourist industry and suburban development. |
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