BOSTON (WHDH) – Mayor Michelle Wu joined city and state officials and community leaders on Saturday to honor the 250th anniversary of Henry Knox and honor his significant contributions to Boston and the nation. Knox was an esteemed Revolutionary War general whose leadership and strength continues to reflect in Boston’s communities today.
This event, part of the City’s Boston 250 initiative, also illustrated the city’s commitment to honoring the rich and diverse history across Boston neighborhoods.
“Henry Knox’s journey through Roxbury shows us that ingenuity, determination, and community can change the course of history,” Wu said. “We’re celebrating not only revolutionary history, but also the everyday revolutionaries whose stories weren’t always told, and whose leadership and defense of Boston continue to shape our city. The Historic Markers Program puts these stories right where they belong—front and center, where our history happened.”
“The Henry Knox Trail was a bold and unlikely mission, one powered by strategy, determination, and the collaboration of everyday people along the way. That is why it is especially meaningful to gather in Roxbury, at the final stop of the trail, in the city where the arrival of those cannons ultimately helped force the British evacuation of Boston,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “This moment reminds us that the story of the American Revolution was not just written by famous names, but by communities, neighbors, and ordinary people who believed in a shared future. As Massachusetts continues to celebrate our role in the founding of our nation, we honor the people who risked life and limb for the chance at self-governance, and sparked the Revolution that would change the world.”
The event began with a procession of cannons, Clydesdale horses, reenactors, and community partners through the historic neighborhood of Roxbury, where Henry Knox once led a similar train of 59 cannons on his historic effort to vanquish the British from Boston. Arriving at First Church Roxbury, the event continued with a commemoration ceremony featuring remarks from Mayor Wu and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and local historians such as Dr. Noelle Trent (Museum of African American History), Dart Adams (Everyone250), Jonathan Lane (Revolution250), Ray Shepard, and Bob Allison (Suffolk University) contextualized the moment.
The program uplifted Knox’s legacy as well as stories of Black revolutionaries that helped turn the tide of the war, such as Abel Benson and Salem Poor. The celebration ended with the City’s first-ever Boston Beacon, an immersive spectacle celebrating the past, present, and future of Roxbury’s revolutionary culture through 3D-mapped light projections, live music, spoken word, and multimedia artwork co-curated by Boston artists, storytellers, and historians.
Wu also announced the creation of Tour 250, the City’s program of commemorative markers ensuring Boston residents and communities are part of the City’s ongoing storytelling. Mayor Wu also announced the Historic Markers Community Grants Program, supported by a $650,000 allocation from the Browne Fund. This program will facilitate the installation of a new series of commemorative markers across the city, intended to tell a more complete story of Boston and uplift the rich cultural heritage of Boston’s neighborhoods.
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