Boston 5 - Saturday

Did you know that the Boston subway system is the oldest subway in the United States? It was built in 1897 to deal with the congestion. I guess they had lots of slow-moving streetcars. We decided to check out Freedom Trail on foot, in a leisurely fashion so as to not overly tax a marathoner just before the big race. Below, you can see Park Street Church, where John Piper is speaking this Sunday. Built in 1809, the church has a very interesting history. Park Street Church has been active in prison reform, women's suffrage, and the abolitionist movement. And the song "America" was first sung here in 1831.

We bought a little handbook that explained the various sites to see, only somehow we neglected to note that Freedom Trail is marked by a red line (paint or red brick) that shows you exactly where to go. We spent all day sort of guessing, until the very end when we heard someone else say, "Just follow the red line!" That sure made things easier! We wandered through Granary Burial Ground, where Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and others are buried. Above, is a stone marking Paul Revere, and below is the original stone, a bit smaller. The stone below marks the grave of Elizabeth Goose, who raised, I believe, 20 children. Definitely sounds like the Old Woman in the Shoe who had so many children. . .There is speculation that she is the real Mother Goose, but it is just speculation.