A Visit to Thoreau’s Birthplace & The Spirit Of Concord

This bonus travelogue traces a walk through Concord, Massachusetts, as we step into the living neighbourhood behind some of the most influential American writers and ideas. 

Last week, we celebrated the 300th episode with a visit to the legendary site of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, where he wrote the famous book going by the pond’s name. The next day, we drifted into the town of Concord to visit the Thoreau family home, Henry David’s birthplace. 

Then, on our way to his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson’s place up the road, we came across another famous house - Louisa May Alcott’s family home. They were family friends of Emerson and Thoreau, and Louisa became another famous writer in town, as the author of Little Women. 

We didn’t have time for the tour, but to our great delight, the two elders who were running the tours, Beth and Anne, were out front and became fascinated by our tour of the country. We were then regaled with some of the awesome stories behind the stories, including of the hundreds of thousands of visitors coming from around the world, often with some surprising connections. They also had plenty to say on the spirit of places like this. They’re in no doubt of it.

After that, we made it to Emerson’s place. But first, the Thoreau’s, reflecting along the way on friendship, mentorship, and the journal practice Emerson urged Thoreau to keep. The thread tying it all together? Perhaps it's attention: noticing what a landscape is asking of us, and deciding how we want to live in response. 

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Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 11 September 2024.

Title image: Thoreau's birthplace.

See more photos on the episode web page, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below.

Music:

Working the Fields, by Falconer (from Artlist).

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

Transcript

Walden Trip Bonus Setup

AJ 0:04

G'day, Anthony James here for The RegenNarration with the stories that are changing the story, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. Last week we celebrated the 300th episode with a visit to the legendary site of Henry David Thoreau's cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, Massachusetts, where he wrote the famous book going by the Pond's name. This week, a little bonus. As the next day we drifted into the town of Concord to visit the Thoreau family home, Henry David's birthplace. Then, on our way to his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson's place up the road, we came across another famous house. But to be honest, one I didn't know much about. It was Louisa Mayolcott's family home. They were family friends of Emerson and Thoreau, and Louisa became another famous writer in town as the author of Little Women. My wife educated me on that one. We didn't have time for the tour, but to our great delight, the two elders who were running the tours, Beth and Anne, were out front and became fascinated by our tour of the country. So we were then regaled with some of the awesome stories behind the stories, including of the hundreds of thousands of visitors coming from around the world, often with some surprising connections. They also have plenty to say on the spirit of places like this. There in no doubt of it. Must try to get them on the podcast at some stage. Anyway, after that, we made it to Emerson's place. But first, the Thoreau's. We've just pulled up at the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau. Sort of a five-minute drive out of the centre of Concord, Massachusetts. We pulled up and parked next to a little free library. Seems apt. A little sticky note on the front of it says open carefully. Wanna nest inside. So we're coming in from the back because that's where the parking is. To the right is a farm. We grow fresh organic produce and distribute it for free to meal program shelters and food pantries. I did know that the Walden Woods project had started a farm. I assume this is it. There's a plaque next to it. With a Thoreau quote at the top. When I witness the first ploughing and planting, I acquire a long-lost confidence in the earth that it will nourish the seed that is committed to its bosom. This land and the farmhouse in which Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 was acquired through the generous gifts of many. From elementary school children to corporations, from state and local agencies to charitable foundations. The Concord community is grateful to all who helped purchase this historic property from the Breen family in 1997. It's been in continuous use as a working farm since the early 17th century. One of the few remaining agricultural landscapes in Concord's historic East Quarter. And as you approach the back of the house, I've got a picture of Thoreau with the with this quote. I desire that there be as many different persons in the world as possible. But I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's, or his mother's, or his neighbours instead. From Walden. He probably heard me from time to time talk about my old mentor's sort of most famed line amongst people that knew him. Very much along those lines, and there were many words like that spoken at his uh memorial event as well, along the lines as a teacher of having the students not be like him. The less predictable you are to me, he said, in one of his final public appearances, the more I will have done my job. And there's produce and flowers growing in little garden patches at the back of the house, too. A herb garden, vegetable garden. Oh wow, that smells amazing. These are plenty. Oh, that's the sage, is it? Beautiful. House tours. Yeah, just the weekend, eh? So we gotta go inside. Still plenty of cars in the car park. Must be for the farm, that's all. Just drift around in the front. Anyway. It's um I can find pictures on the internet, of course, but yeah, big grand white house in the style of Concord. Looks like it's been a pretty important and fresh place for the duration of its existence. The size of the estates around here. Getting a peek into what looks like a study of writing room at the side. First front windows, too. I'll put photos up as well on the website. Exhibition panels in each room. Come around the other side. There's a different kind of sign. The birth of the revolution. Concorde, known for the shot heard around the world, quote unquote. And start of the American Revolution in 1775, was on the cusp of a new age of capitalism, democracy, social reform, and religious pluralism when Thoreau was born. Historically rooted Concorde was grappling with global changes and in danger of losing the wild places Thoreau loved. In the quote from resistance to civil government, aka civil disobedience, all men recognise the right of revolution. That is, the right to refuse allegiance to and to resist the government when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. Thoreau's morality and worldview was shaped by his mother, Cynthia, his sisters Helen and Sophia, and his aunts Louisa and Maria, Jane, Sarah, and Elizabeth Thoreau. They were abolitionists, teachers, naturalists, and businesswomen. They all died young. Yet still had that influence on him that had that influence on so many others. I was reminded last night that his brother, who he worked with in that teaching academy, died at 27 of tetanus. The other three siblings of the four died of TB, including Henry. But yeah, he's brother of tetanus from a cut from shaving. It is one of those moments that brings home the um value and place of Western medical advances. In those acute responses that we can take for granted these days. And amidst, of course, we must be frustrated by with what can be a narrow focus, reductionist focus on health. When you go around these grounds, you can see some greenhouses at the back, signs up amongst the foliage. Every part of it's uh an education and an inspiration. I just go to the street front and take a photo, feel the vibe, and have something to show you. What really strikes here is just being in the town space, feeling the daily life. And uh we'll go to Ralph Waldo Emerson's place next, feeling their friendship and connection just as a point of daily life. So the old photos of the house show pretty bare ground around it. There's now this big oak tree right in front of it, shading the entire thing at the moment. It's sort of approaching noon with a little sign from a tiny acorn. There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. I've forgotten that one. It's from Walden to four miles to Walden. A four mile walk, it says pointedly. Along the way are many places to fall in love with Concord, as Thoreau did. Ah, there's a bike going past. Markedly more peaceful and topical. Here's a sign labelled or titled Musgetaquid. I don't know how well I've pronounced it. The old name for Concord has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. In the Algonquin language, Musgetaquid signifies a grassy river or grassy island. Nipmuck, Portucat, and Massachusetts people thrived on its fertile soils, forests, and the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers. Comes with the prompt, with whom do you share the land? Who came before you? Who will come after? Man, that echoes the ancestor stuff that's been coming through this podcast. In recent times, certainly more for me to follow up back home. I've come over to the west flank. And this sign's titled Drawing Lines. This marker honours Thoreau as a land surveyor, a job that drew on his love of the outdoors and keen observation skills, through which he got to know the landscape of this place more than most. The quote's interesting though, again, echoing so many themes from this podcast. I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least, and it is commonly more than that, sauntering through the woods and fields absolutely free from all worldly engagements. That's from a piece called Walking. On our way back to town and to Emerson's place, we pass Louisa Mae Olcott's place, Orchard House, the home of little women, where she wrote that. And that was in the 19th century too, I think. What a place of world-shaping literature this little town has been. The back house is now labelled the Concord School of Philosophy, and wow, does it inspire it? Coming up to the side doors, too. I have to stoop fairly low. Another indication of the times. Yeah, the fact the Little Women was somewhat autobiographical, but a lot of it is inspired and played out around here is pretty moving. The grounds go back a fair way with a winding path. Beautiful landscape again. Well that was fascinating. Observing the tour attendees, all women, and yeah, pretty senior. I think I'm the only bloke on sight aside from the two tradies doing the Renault's. Oh, and that school of philosophy? Olivia Neshi had a look. They were shown inside briefly. It was a chapel of sorts that Mr. Alcott built for the transcendentalists. It's where Thoreau and Emerson and these guys connected. What a place. Okay, back onto this busy road. So we've come I don't know 500 metres up the road to Ralph Waldo Emerson's house. A stately manor, as I've always recalled it described. And I used again I used to imagine Henry and Ralph here. Amazing to just be at the doorstep and imagine their encounters day to day. And indeed Henry apparently got to know each other because Henry worked on the place on the land here for him. And Emerson was the one who encouraged him to keep a journal. The rest is history. So for us, it's just a walk to the gate. Feeling the presence of the footsteps of the past. Please watch your step on the marble walkway if you don't mind. Take the liberty to walk to the front door. Yeah, if you live to a ripe old age, remember I think it was 89 or something like that. Should check these facts, shouldn't I? So I just checked Wikipedia. He died at 79, almost 80, in 1882, 20 years after Thoreau. And apparently went by his middle name, Baldo. Chicken coop over there now. Don't know if there was then, maybe there was. Barns right across from me now, looking back at the house, and I can count four chimneys, so it gives you a sense of the grandeur. Another white, stately weatherboard, sort of a home. Looks like it might have a creek out the back, too. I can't remember, maybe these things were described in some of the literature. It's gonna have all sorts of different meaning now to read back. Across the road is actually the Concord Museum now. Like it might have been a courthouse or something. We won't linger though, we're gonna move on. Well, that signs off on our visit to Thoreau's neck of the woods. Thanks for joining me out here. See you soon. What a visit that was. Hope you enjoyed these last couple episodes, dropping in, as it were, on Henry David Thoreau and Friends. Just a quick note on the back of this one to say special thanks once again to you generous supporting listeners for making 300 episodes of this podcast possible. Well, 301 now. That includes brilliant long-term partners, Laura and Ben at Grosz Co Lab in Melbourne, for most recently creating a celebratory 10th anniversary insignia for the podcast that you may have already noticed in your feed. And it also includes the wonderful Mel Hodge at Dr. Bronner's here in Oz for the soaps that kept our Murray River canoe journey from getting mank last month. Well, our group was very clean, really, but just in case. And having just left the grounds of the Grounded festival in the Otways of Australia, thanks to everyone who made that so incredible, and to all you listeners and paid subscribers who came and said hello. That meant so much. You're real. I'm still swinging in appreciation for it all. More to share from the festival. For now, the music you're hearing is regeneration by Amelia Barden. My name's Anthony James. Thanks for listening.