EXTENT: .625 linear ft. (1 container)

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGMENT: Organized into twelve series: I. Chairman’s records; II. Chairman’s correspondence; III. Secretary’s records; IV. Historian’s report; V. Subcomittees (exclusive of Parade Committee); VI. Parade Committee/parade; VII. Committee/subcommittee membership; VIII. Financial; IX. Patriot Half Dollars; X. Celebrations in Lexington and Boston; XI. Printed ephemera; XII. Memorabilia. 

history: Committee appointed to arrange public celebration in Concord, Mass., of 150^th anniversary of Battle of Concord, April 19-20, 1925.  Officers: Prescott Keyes, Chairman; Samuel Hoar, Secretary (later Wells A. Hall); Stedman Buttrick, Treasurer; Allen French, Historian.  Dignitaries invited to Concord included officials of state and federal governments; Vice President of United States and Governor of Massachusetts attended.  Religious services on Sunday, April 19, were followed by placement of wreaths on Revolutionary graves by Children of the American Revolution, by band concert, and by afternoon and evening addresses.  Parade to North Bridge took place April 20.  As arranged by Allen French, Concord Fight was reenacted at bridge.  Athletic events, literary exercises, fireworks, concert, and ball took place later in day.  Patriot Half Dollars, ordered from United States Mint, were sold as part of celebration.  (Committee cooperated with Lexington’s celebration committee, particularly regarding Patriot Half Dollar, but celebrations in the towns were separate.)  Report of Concord’s committee was included in 1925 annual municipal report.

Scope and Content: Manuscript and typescript records (1924-1926), printed items (including proofsheets), and memorabilia.  Records include minutes, reports (including Historian’s report by Allen French), form letters, postcards, notes (in hand of Prescott Keyes), programs and souvenir program booklet, checklists, correspondence (Chairman’s correspondence spanning 1924-1926), memoranda, parade orders, traffic regulations, map, membership lists, budget estimates, invoices, drawings, order and application forms, brochures, booklets, tickets, train schedule, publishers’ advertisements, commemorative letter opener (several of same), and ribbon pins.  Series Patriot Half Dollars includes TLS from Daniel Chester French to Prescott Keyes, 1925 Jan. 24, declining request to design coin.  Series Celebrations in Lexington and Boston includes letters to Keyes from Edward C. Stone on behalf of Lexington’s celebration committee.

SOURCE(S) OF ACQUISITION: Established for one item only: souvenir letter opener (multiple): gift of Janet Turley, 1990.

NOTES/COMMENTS: Reel of film, formerly part of records, deaccessioned to Charles Dee by MM; later copied (original discarded) by Charles Dee.

PROCESSED BY: LPW; finding aid prepared 7/22/95.  Prepared for the internet by Peter K. Steinberg, 03/07/06.

CONTAINER LIST

FOLDER 1:
SERIES I. CHAIRMAN’S RECORDS (EXCLUSIVE OF MOST CORRESPONDENCE), 1924-1925

FOLDER 2:
SERIES II. CHAIRMAN’S CORRESPONDENCE, 1924-1926: Correspondents A-M

FOLDER 3:
SERIES II. CHAIRMAN'S CORRESPONDENCE, 1924-1926: Correspondents O-Y

FOLDER 4:
SERIES III. SECRETARY’S RECORDS, 1924-1925

FOLDER 5:
SERIES IV: HISTORIAN’S REPORT, 1925

FOLDER 6:
SERIES V. SUBCOMMITTEE (EXCLUSIVE OF PARADE COMMITTEE, 1924-1925

FOLDER 7:
SERIES VI:  PARADE COMMITTEE/PARADE, 1924-1925

FOLDER 8:
SERIES VII:  COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP, 1924-1925

FOLDER 9:
SERIES VIII: FINANCIAL, 1924-1925

FOLDER 10:
SERIES IX: PATRIOT HALF DOLLARS, 1924-1925
(including TLS, Daniel Chester French to Prescott Keyes, 1925 Jan. 24, declining to design half dollar)

FOLDER 11:
SERIES X: CELEBRATIONS IN LEXINGTON AND BOSTON, 1924-1925
(including letters to Prescott Keyes from Edward C. Stone on behalf of Lexington’s celebration committee)

FOLDERS 12-13:
SERIES XI: PRINTED EPHEMERA, 1925
(including brochures, booklets, train schedule, programs, map, tickets, invitation, etc.)

FOLDER 14:
SERIES XII: MEMORABILIA, 1925
(letter openers and ribbon pins)

c2006 Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Curator of Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.

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Mounted 18th March 2006. rcwh.