Billerica, MA
N 42° 33.556 W 071° 16.151
19T E 313722 N 4714369
Harvey Farkle's Hometown
Waymark Code: WM70QN
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/15/2009
Views: 6
Billerica's pre-history goes back to around 1000 B.C. represented by a Native American burial site. By the early 1630's it was the location of a Praying Indian village called Shawshin. The term Praying Indian is a referrence to Native Americans of New England who converted to Christianity, most commonly those converted by Puritan leader Reverend John Eliot.
In the late 1630's the land was granted to Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop and Lt. Governor Thomas Dudley for further settlement. Due to financial difficulties this did not happen until around 1650.
Settlers from Cambridge soon changed the name to Billerica, likely due to the fact that the majority of the families living in the settlement were originally from the town of Billericay in Essex, England. Billerica was incorporated into a town in 1655, on the same day as nearby Chelmsford and Groton.
Revolutionary War era residents included Asa Pollard (1735–1775), the first soldier killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and Thomas Ditson (born 1741), who was tarred and feathered by the British in 1775 while on a visit to Boston. The song "Yankee Doodle" became a term of national pride instead of an insult due to this event. Supposedly George Washington had the tune played at Yorktown during the surrender of Cornwallis.
Billerica has been welcoming home her service men and women for a while now.
Type of community: Town
|
Visit Instructions:
More pictures of the sign would be great. Try and take a picture of yourself with it if you can!
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|