GC2D0WZ Paul Revere's Ride? (Traditional Cache) in Massachusetts, United States created by Lo

This cache has been archived.

The Seanachai: As there's been no cache to find for months, I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.

GC2D0WZ ▼

A cache by Lo_rettaP Message this owner

Hidden : 8/9/2010

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is placed in Battle Road Woodlands. It is one of the main conservation areas in Woburn. We were surprised that no cache has been placed here yet, since there are caches in Woburn's other conservation areas: Shaker Glen, Rag Rock, and Horn Pond.
Apparently this is one hidden gem! We felt strongly that its story needed to be told.

NOTE: The terrain is a 2.5, but it does follow the path(s). TRUST THE PATHS! NEW box/log placed 4/18/13 in new coords to avoid muggles.

We couldn't pass up the title, thanks to Longfellow's poem, but we have to point out that Paul Revere did NOT actually ride through Woburn. Revere road to Medford and went west to Lexington. You would still wonder since the street names in this area suggest otherwise.

Bordering Battle Road Woodlands is Revere Rd., Independence Dr., Patriot Dr., and Freedom Rd. One of your possible entrances to Battle Road Woodlands is found between 12 and 16 Revere Rd. There's also a marked entrance on Cambridge Rd. and on Briscoe Rd. Enter near Cambridge Road, and you will be entering into the walk of history. Imagine yourself a Woburn militiaman on your way to Lexington.

Battle Road was actually built in 1645. It was one of the first 4 roads laid out in the town of Woburn. For a suburb of Boston, it is near-miraculous this original road portion still exists and in such a rather well-preserved state. It was also called Old Lexington Rd., Old Russell St., and back in the 1600s it was called Saw Pit Lane. This was the main road to Lexington from Cambridge Rd. until its abandonment in the 1830s with the construction of Russell St.

The path through Battle Road is bordered by stone walls on both sides for much of the way. But its claim to fame in Woburn's history is that this is the road taken by the militia men of Woburn to aide in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775. Some famous names and claims passed by this way. On that day, the weather was fair, but windy and cold.

Asahel Porter was a Woburn clothier, who on that morning was on his way with a friend to Boston market, most likely by way of Cambridge Rd. to Massachusetts Ave. They ran right into the British troops marching to Lexington and were captured for fear they would alert others of the British movements. Porter and his friend were forced to march with the British until they reached Lexington and saw that the Minute Men were already there. The British had no more need of the prisoners. Allegedly, Porter broke into a run and was shot by the British in the back. He died on Lexington Green. Was that the shot heard around the world? Was he the first to be killed on that day? Clearly Porter did not take Battle Road on the way to Lexington. But his body was marched back to his widow by that road.

Loammi Baldwin (Woburnites will recognize that name) was in charge of the Woburn Militia. It was Daniel Thompson who rode up from Woburn Central Square to alert the Woburn Militia in North Woburn. All assembled on Woburn Square to prepare for the march to Lexington. About 250 men marched via Battle Road. They got there about 20 minutes after the British moved on. They were the first group of minutemen (outside Lexington) to arrive on the scene. The British went on to Concord, and the Woburn militia set up a trap for the British on their way back in Lincoln called the Bloody Angle.

Benjamin Thompson, it turns out, was a Loyalist. That would be Count Rumford for you scientists. Interesting that Woburn has a statue of this man in front of the library since he did NOT go down Battle Road. His very vocal loyalist tendencies worried the militia men, and Thompson was kept prisoner in a house on this day (for his own safe-keeping, of course). He went to London with the British when they left Boston in 1776.

Sylvanus Wood is another name Woburnites may recognize, given the road off Cambridge Rd. named for him. Sylvanus Wood went down Battle Road at the first sound of trouble, not waiting for the militia since he was already on the west side. He was on Lexington Green during the battle. Sylvanus had also gone off on his own to follow the British toward Concord. Sylvanus Wood always claimed that he was the one to capture the first British prisoner of the war. In 1824 Wood petitioned Congress for a pension based on this claim, dying in 1840 at the age of 91.

We hope you enjoy this cache, picking up a little something for yourselves as well as a little piece of history. We tried to stock prizes that all ages may like, and we will launch our first trackable (TB3KG8H) here with our first cache.

Special thanks to the Woburn Historical Society and their production of "Pathway of the Patriots."

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur anzr bs guvf pnpur vf npghnyyl uvag rabhtu...ohg vs lbh arrq zber... Nf lbh arne TM, gnxr gur nqivpr bs Eboreg Sebfg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

This cache has been archived.

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Paul Revere's Ride? Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

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