Half Circling the Square

I had a great time at Circle on the Square, Thursday in Medford. I can't say I did it all but there was a lot to see and do. It was so hot I did not ride my bike as I had originally planned but drove down, parked near City Hall and hoofed it to the Bookseller's Cafe which is a great place to take a friend or just sit and enjoy the view overlooking the river. Hank Phillippi Ryan (Channel 7’s Help Me Hank) was there signing her new novel, The Other Woman. I am a sucker for anything set in Boston so I bought it and had a little chat with her as a fellow writer. We’re hoping she comes back to give a talk about her book and I would love to hear more about her 40 year career (she doesn’t look that old) in Journalism and her other books. I especially want to know how to write a novel. I have started a youth novel set in Boston but I find writing non-fiction is a lot easier.

 I spied a flyer at the bookstore about a tour of Salem Street Burial Ground the oldest burial ground in Medford and decided to attend that after a quick trip to the Farmer's Market. I bought a baguette and fresh cuke and sampled cheesecake, zesty salsa and a wine tasting while listening to a lovely musical ensemble before heading back for the burial ground tour.  As I left I spied the Mayor who I'd only seen in pictures and in the spirit of community introduced myself. Mayor McGlynn is very gracious and we had a nice chat as we walked down to the plaza where a lively band played. The mayor told me about some local history boasting both George Washington and Paul Revere had trod these very streets. Apparently Washington used the Royall House which was built by loyalists who returned to England when the Revolution began. Medford saw a lot of Revolutionary War activity being on the route Paul Revere took to Lexington.

 It ended up being an hour and a half tour of the not so large burial ground given by Ryan Hayward a re-enactor dressed in colonial garb. It was in the 90’s but our guide said he was not that hot because he was dressed all in linen. Still I was glad things have lightened up and we can have a bit of skin showing these days.

 There are many founders’ families’ graves marked by old slate stones and Hayward was thorough in explaining the burial customs of the times. Several of Medford’s Puritan ministers were buried there. I was surprised to hear John Hancock had served for a while but went on to greater prominence when at age 27 Hancock received an inheritance that made him one of the wealthiest people in the region.

There is a memorial stone for militia from New Hampshire who fought and died at the Battle of Bunker Hill as well as a marker for Sarah Bradlee Fulton “a heroine of the American Revolution” who was involved in the Boston Tea Party and other unladylike activities.

 It is a place we all should visit and learn more about to gain some perspective on where we have come from and where we are headed.

Thanks should go to the Medford Cultural Council sponsoring the tour and the Friends of the Salem Street Burial Ground for preserving such an important spot.