Concord Minute Men Records, 1949-2000 (bulk 1961-1993)
Vault A65, Unit A1 (Off-Site Storage*)
EXTENT: Eight containers and three oversized folders.
ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Organized in eight series. Series I: Administrative Records, 1963-1992; Series II: Correspondence, 1963-2001; Series III: Financial Documents, 1961-1974; Series IV: Muster Newsletters, 1964-1991; Series V: Events and Performances, 1963-1993; Series V; Sub-Series A: Patriot’s Day Celebrations and Events, 1966-1983; Series VI: Music, Art & Poetry, 1974-1983; Series VII: Newspaper Clippings, 1972-1982; Series VIII: Scrapbooks, Photographs and Memorabilia, 1963-1993. All series arranged chronologically by date, with undated materials collected at the beginning of each series unless noted otherwise in the container list below.
HISTORY: The Concord Minute Men were established by the Concord Board of Selectmen and the Committee on Public Ceremonies and Celebrations on December 10, 1962. Their proclamation declared that such a group was essential for several reasons: the town’s historic connection with the original Minutemen from the American Revolutionary War, the need for a local marching unit to take part in parades and other social and civic events, and to participate in the approaching bicentennial celebration of the events of April 19th, 1775, also known as Patriots’ Day. The newly founded organization began recruiting members, electing officers, writing institutional by-laws, and establishing a basic style of uniform. The first Concord Minute Men Muster took place on January 12, 1963, and the group formally appeared for the first time on April 19th, 1963 for the annual Patriots’ Day Parade in Concord, Mass. In 1965, the Concord Minute Men were awarded the honor of representing Massachusetts at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s inaugural parade in Washington, D.C., though a lack of preparation and colors at the event prompted the confused presenter, David Brinkley, to inquire aloud, “Now who are these old men coming down the street?” The inaugural parade became an organizational turning point and was later referenced when the group was profiled in Yankee magazine in April 1971. After this initial misstep, the Concord Minute Men designed and received permission to trademark a company flag and continued to participate in events local, regional, and international. 1971. The Concord Minute Men also gave back to the town of Concord through initiatives such as the 1975 Fund, a special gift made to the town during the bicentennial year. After the attention they received as a result of the bicentennial events of 1975, the organization’s membership swelled to 253 men. The group attended regional events and international trips to Bermuda, France, and the United Kingdom through the early 1980s and continue to participate in annual events like Patriots’ Day celebrations. A more detailed history is available in the 1979 Handbook for the Order and Discipline of the Concord Minute Men, SPEC COLL 974.44.
SCOPE AND CONTENT: This collection contains a range of materials dating from 1949 to 2000, including administrative records, manuals and drafts, rosters and muster notebooks, muster newsletters, correspondence, scrapbooks, newsletters and newspaper clippings, event information such as schedules and maps, photographs, and produced related music, art, and poetry. The collection also contains memorabilia consisting of event posters, programs, ribbons, and publications by local and associated groups and organizations.
SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift of John Dennis, 15 June 2015.
*RESTRICTION ON ACCESS: The Concord Minute Men Records are stored in an off-site vault. To use the collection, researchers must provide at least twenty-four hours advance notice and specific citations to box(es) and folder(s) desired. Contact the William Munroe Special Collections (978 318-3342) for additional information or to arrange to use the collection.
NOTES/COMMENTS: A significant number of duplicates were discarded during processing.
PROCESSED BY: Alexandra Bernson, May 2016.
Container List
Series I: Administrative Records, 1963-1992
Box 1, Folders 1-9
Administrative records, including articles of organization, trademark documents, and permits, 1966-1989.
Box 1, Folders 10-23
Manuals and by-laws, in both draft and published form, 1972-1979.
Box 1, Folders 24-25
Ballots and membership application cards, 1978.
Box 1, Folders 26-31
Rosters, 1975-1983.
Box 1, Folder 32
Meeting Proposals, 1969-1976.
Box 1, Folder 33-49
Meeting Minutes, primarily of the Executive Committee, 1963-1983.
Box 1, Folder 50-58
Reports issued by various subsets of the Concord Minute Men including, but not limited to, historian reports, officer reports, and reports of the nominating committee, budget committee, and education committee, 1965-1983.
Box 1, Folder 59
Materials related to weaponry, including flyers, invoices, and advertisements, 1964-1968.
Box 1, Folder 60
Assorted notes, undated.
Box 1A, Unfoldered
Muster books, 1968-1992.
Box 2, Folder 1-5
1975 Fund and scholarship development effort, 1966-1976.
Box 2, Folder 6
Press releases issued by the Concord Minute Men, 1962-1992.
Series II: Correspondence, 1963-2001
Box 2, Folder 7-41
Correspondence, 1963-2001 and undated.
Series III: Financial Documents, 1961-1974
Box 3, Folder 1-14
Receipts, bills, invoices, and financial correspondence, 1961-1974 and undated. Materials also include solicitations and order forms.
Series IV: Muster Newsletters, 1964-1991
Box 3, Folder 15-36
Muster newsletters, including some drafts and undated newsletters containing event information and calendars, 1964-1991.
Series V: Events and Performances, 1963-1993
Box 3, Folder 37-40
Event information for various performances and presentations, including flyers, brochures, schedules, parade orders, and other general information, 1964-1983.
Box 3, Folders 41-50
Event information for major domestic and international events, trips, or programs such as the Concord Minute Men’s annual Installation Dinners, Bermuda trip, Loyalist Days event in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, the 1977 Presidential Inauguration, 350th Jubilee in Boston, the Arnold Expedition to Quebec, the London Parade in the United Kingdom, and the Wurzburg Carnival in Germany, among others, 1968-1993.
Box 3, Folders 51-53
Presentation notes, speech cards, scripts, and skits, undated, 1963-1981.
Series V: Sub-Series A: Patriot’s Day Celebrations and Events, 1966-1983
Box 4, Folders 1-5
Includes program information, reports, flyers, notes, and ticket information about the Patriots’ Day Parade and Patriots’ Day Ball as well as letters to the editor and testimony from Concord Minute Men members regarding changing the public celebration of Patriots’ Day to closest Monday, 1966-1983.
Series VI: Music, Art, & Poetry, 1974-1983
Box 4, Folders 6 -9
Includes poems written by or for the Concord Minute Men, manuscripts and notes regarding the Concord Minute Men’s record, sheet music for colonial tunes played during events, music master notes, and a sketch portrait, 1974-1983.
Oversized Folder 1
LP entitled “We Playd And Beat Yankey Doodle” recorded by the Concord Minute Men, 1974.
Series VII: Newspaper Clippings, 1972-1982
Box 4, Folders 10-19
Newspaper clippings relating to the Concord Minute Men, including articles and photographs of members from parades and events such as Memorial Day or Patriots’ Day, news regarding Concord, Mass., and obituaries for past members. Organized roughly by subject or event.
Oversized Folder 2
Various published newsletters including a special edition publication entitled “Lexington-Concord Alarm, Middlesex News, Catamount Chronicle, The Ancient Times, and Concord Journal, 1972-1982.
Series VIII: Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Memorabilia, 1949-1993
Box 4A
Scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, certificates, programs, sheet music, and mementos from assorted events, 1963-1975.
Box 4, Folders 20-45
Materials originally contained in a scrapbook regarding a Concord Minute Men trip to Scotland, England, and France. Materials include primarily photographs, but also itineraries, menus, postcards, brochures, newspaper and magazine clippings, programs, invoices, and maps, 1983. (Foldered in same order as original scrapbook).
Box 4, Folders 46-50
Photographs from unspecified events, dinners, and balls, including portraits of members, undated.
Box 5, Folders 1-5
Programs from the Concord Minute Men events such the annual Installation Dinner and events hosted by similar organizations, 1967-1993.
Box 5, Folders 6-15
Assorted mail, newsletters, programs, and brochures received by the Concord Minute Men, 1949-1982.
Box 5, Folders 16-18
Materials presented to the Concord Minute Men by various schools as thanks for and recognition of speeches or performances, 1980-1982.
Box 5A, Unfoldered
Ribbons, flags, buttons, certificates, and other mementos from various events, 1975-1982.
Box 5B, Unfoldered
Published materials including a hardcover edition of German Sculpture In New England Museums by Anneliese Harding, various programs and booklets published by local historical societies, a photograph of the USS Farragut DDG-37 and track chart map signed by Commanding Officer William L. Wunderly, Jr., undated.
Oversized Folder 3
Various posters for Concord Minute Men events and related events from similar organizations, 1980-1981.
Mounted 6 july 2016. rcwh.