The Hot Iron

Friday, February 16, 2007

Revolutionary Entrepreneurs

If you travel through New England, you can barely go fifty yards without seeing some historical landmark or marker of where something in the history of the United States took place.  As someone who grew up there, you are almost oblivious to the significance of what happened several hundred years ago.  When I go back to visit, it is almost like I see these for the first time.

Take a look at this historical marker, which is located in the center of Arlington, Massachusetts:

(click on the photo to see a larger image)

The marker reads, “Near this spot Samuel Whittemore, then 80 years old, killed three British soldiers April 19, 1775. He was shot, bayoneted, beaten and left for dead, but recovered and lived to be 90 years of age.”

This event happened as the British were retreating from the famous battles of Lexington and Concord.  Whittemore was a retired British soldier who owned a farm, an entrepreneur in his own right.  No wonder his resiliency.

And as to the distance between historical markers, across the street from this one is another marking the birthplace of Uncle Sam, an entrepreneur in his own right.