Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Concord (Mass.)

CONCORD, a town of Middlesex co., Mass.; on the Concord river and the Boston and Maine railroad; 20 miles W. of Boston. It is situated in a beautiful rural district, and has several manufacturing establishments. It was for many years the seat of the famous Concord School of Philosophy, and is the site of the Concord State Reformatory. It has a public library, high school, a National bank, and an assessed property valuation of $4,000,000. During the early part of the Revolution the Americans had a large stock of arms and military stores at Concord. Gen. Gage, the British Commander in Boston, hearing of this, sent a body of soldiers to destroy these stores, and on their way they fought the battle of Lexington, the first of the war. When they reached Concord they destroyed what stores they could find, but were soon driven off by the Americans (April 19, 1775). Concord is celebrated as the home of many famous writers, among them Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Miss Alcott. Pop. (1910) 6,421; (1920) 6,461.