The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-08-22
Historic Landmarks.
Paper Read Before the Cha,tauqua Circle.

'efOre the ChaattauQua Circle.
also of interest to people of other COM
munlties whose interest and sentiments
are the same. Therefore, q city like
Philadelphia, with such important OBJ
jects of interest rs Independence Hall or
Old State House, Carpenters Hall and
Christ Church; or Boston which possess
es so many of such monuments of events
Connected with the formative period
of national life, enjoys an attraction
for hundreds of thousands of Ameri-
cans who are eager to visit for them
selves scenes whose description has
thrilled their souls. Is it not an ad-
vantage from every point of view for
any city to be regarded as mecca of
such character?
Now time will not permit me to
treat this subject as literally as l
would like to, but having named two
cities each of which furnish ample
thoughts for paper of this kind, /
will, with your permission pass Phila-
delphia by until another time, and try
to give you some idea of the landmarks
which make Boston and vicinity the
most historical point of interest in this
country.
AS you all know large portion of
the history of the American Revolu-
tiOn is the history of the city of Boston.
| Many OF the historic landmarks have
been removed, but some remain, these
/ the citizens of Boston cherish and
would not willingly see destroyed.
This strength of patriotic sentiment
in the city, sentiment far above and
utterly regardless of the claims OF util.
ity ana the almighty dollar, was clear
ly shown by the uprising of the patri-
otic societies and people, against
encroachment upon the old state house
for transit and subway purposes. 1
firmly believe that it was this action
that saved this venerable building,
which was the central scene of the STIR
ring times of the Colonial period, and
other historical monuments of the city
such as Faneuil Hall. the Old South
Church, Kings Chapel, Christ Church,
Bunker Hill Monument and Franklin's
Birthplace, to the people of the city
and country.
The benefits that have been derived
from the historic landmarks of Boston
and vicinity are incalculable from an in
} tellectual and spiritual point of view.
From the early Colonial epoch to the
present time, swarms of New England.
ers have gone forth from her rocky
hills, to settle, build up and stamp
with their institutions and ideas, the
whole tier of states clear across the
continent from Ohio to Washington
These regions are now filed with theil
descendants, who have in many places
organized patriotic societies, and re-
. gard with veneration the land anC
deeds of their forefathers. Many New
Englanders emigrated to the South ir
like manner, and thousands of theil
descendants are spread over that re
. gion from Maryland to Texas, ant
8 they, too, are not unmindful of tn,
8 race and land from which they sprung
Few of us know how many of sucl
}. descendants visit Boston, and will
4 what interest and veneration they viev
; the historic places and monuments o
Q her glorious past. 1t is said that from
Q sixty to eighty thousand visitors pas
; thru the old state house annually; i'm
Q agine the depressing effect upon thei
9 minds if they found the whole groun,
+ floor and first story turned into rail
:? way station, aud we're obliged to strua
= gle thru pushing crowds of passenger
g and enter a narrow door at the side i
e order to gain entrance to the shrin
70 they came SO far to worship. Wha
y would they think of people so inten
, upon the pursuit of the dollar ths
y they would suffer their most sacred
+ historic monument to be thus des,
Grated, and what would be their fee
d ings of disgust and contempt, an
10 what their report to their friends Z
If home?
a. On the other hand, let the visitor
70 from the South or West view the wei