Why the Walks? Over breakfast in 2022, three retired men – long time friends – talked about history. A famous local colonial hero, General Henry Knox, came up. Then we turned our attention to his commander, General George Washington.
We knew that Henry Knox took an order from his superior officer in 1775. General Washington knew cannons were essential to winning the Battle of Boston. Attempting what was called by some a “stupendous feat of logistics” General Knox prevailed against the odds, successfully transporting nearly 60 cannons from upstate New York forts to battle sites near Boston. In winter…in six weeks…undetected…with volunteers, soldiers and under compensated teamsters.
Impressed by his effort, we set out on January 25, 2023 (above left photo) to walk the 300 total miles of his team’s entire route from Crown Point, NY to the Cambridge (MA) Common, where Knox delivered the weapons to General Washington. Our first walk was Waltham to Cambridge, followed by 27 more. We completed our last walk on January 25, 2026 exactly 250 years after General Knox fulfilled his commander’s order.
Our overall purpose – to stay in step with history – got us on the road again the morning of April 6, 2026 to follow General Washington’s army out of Boston. Noting that our troops expected to engage British forces on the move south to Long Island, so we began:
Washington Walk #1 took us from Roxbury (above right photo) into Dedham. Walk #2 put us on a straight line south on Washington Street (a street name shared by contiguous towns) to reach the Norwood-Walpole line. Walk #3 gave us a gentle slope through the residential heart of Walpole to reach the former hinterlands of Foxboro.
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In Step with History