Sarah Bradlee Fulton and Paul Revere share spotlight on Patriots' Day

By Norah Doyle

More than 200 people gathered outside Medford City Hall on Patriots’ Day to witness the unveiling of the new statue honoring Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton. At the end of the ceremony, attendees walked down the street together to watch Paul Revere’s annual ride through Medford Square as part of "Revere's Ride, Medford Pride."

The morning ceremony, which included remarks from city leaders and local historians, placed a spotlight on a lesser-known woman whose legacy is tied to the nation’s founding. It comes as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday this July.

“This was a great turnout,” said Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo–Koehn. “We had probably about 200 people there, which was amazing, and it was really exciting to acknowledge and honor a female hero who helped in the Revolutionary War.”
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The ceremony began with a welcome from Veronica Shaw, who is the director of Veteran Services and was the emcee for the event. The Medford Scouts then led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Reverend Carol Morehead of Grace Episcopal Church gave the invocation.

City Council President Zac Bears gave welcoming remarks before inviting Mayor Lungo-Koehn up to the podium to speak about why the city celebrates Patriots' Day.​ Then, Laura Duggan of Looking Back at Medford History Inc. took the mic.

Duggan, who spearheaded the initiative for the statue of Fulton, captivated the crowd with her heroic tales of Fulton and all she did for the American cause.
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“In 1776, John Fulton was asked by John Brooks, our revolutionary war hero, to carry dispatches from George Washington to the Sons of Liberty in Charlestown," Duggan said. "
He couldn't do it. Guess who did? Sarah opened her skirt hem and sewed the dispatches inside so they would remain safe. 
She walked at night, eight miles to Boston Harbor. She found a rowboat to row herself over to the North End. She delivered the dispatches, and then she walked home."
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Some may argue that Fulton's stories have been sensationalized, or are just family lore, and that she didn’t actually do all of these things. Duggan disagrees.

“She most certainly did. In 1789, the newly inaugurated George Washington, a smart guy, decided to go on a tour of the states that had supported him,” said Duggan. “Who did he visit? John Brooks, of course, our revolutionary war hero, who would become governor. 
The other person he visited? Yes. Sarah Bradlee Fulton… So, I don't think George Washington had either the time or wanted to waste himself on somebody who didn't do something that was incredibly important.”
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After brief remarks by sculptor Robert Shure of Skylight Studios Inc. and the physical lifting of the tarp to unveil the statue, the ceremony closed with a performance of Taps by Lisa Mula of Taps for Veterans.
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Then the assembly followed Mayor Lungo-Koehn down the road to Medford Square to see Paul Revere, who was played by National Lancers Brigadier General Richard Reale, Jr., come down the street on his horse. The square was lined with tents from a number of Medford and area groups, such as the Acera School, which offered an enrichment experience of using real quills and ink to practice writing calligraphy, and Medford Recreation.
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“Ye Old Arcade,” a tent set up by Looking Back At Medford History, offered Colonial-era games and clothes for children to play with during the festivities.
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Alexia, a Medford High School junior who was working the tent, said, “Some kids played with some of the games that they used to play back in the day. They worked on some calligraphy, those who could write their names. There were a lot of blocks to play with. There was some chalk for the kids, crossword puzzles, ink stamping, all those."

Also, Alexia said, there were articles of period clothing the children could try on, and they loved the hats because they wanted to look like the adults.
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Many attendees, both children and adults, wore tricorn hats to the event. Tricorn hats are the iconic, three-cornered hats that colonial men wore at the time.
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At around 11:30 a.m., Paul Revere (and his entourage of police and National Guard escorts) galloped down High Street to the cheers of the crowd.
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This is an annual ride that spans several locations, as the real Revere did many years ago. “Paul Revere” begins his journey in the North End and rides all the way to Lexington, making stops in Charlestown, Somerville, Medford and Arlington, before arriving at his final destination.
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Paul Revere’s ride is a tradition special to many residents of these areas, including Mayor Lungo-Koehn.
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“It’s probably my 24th year in Medford Square watching Paul Revere ride through,” Lungo-Koehn said. “It’s a wonderful tradition. This is one of the biggest crowds.”
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Revere gathered the crowd for a brief stop at the former home of Captain Isaac Hall at 43 High Street. After quizzing the crowd with a few trivia questions, Revere was sent off by a collective group, “Three huzzahs for Paul Revere. Huzzah, huzzah, huzzah!”

While Revere is an annual guest at Medford’s Patriots’ Day celebration, he had to share the spotlight this year with Sarah Bradlee Fulton, to whom a complimentary cake and a large gingerbread cookie were dedicated.
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“The statue is to help people remember the women. It's only the third statue of a woman from the Revolutionary War," Duggan said.

Throughout Massachusetts, she said, only 6% of all historical monuments are women.

"And we know there was more than that,” said Duggan. “So by having a statue, with a narration plaque in front of her, that'll help people here know and remember her. That's my whole point, for her to be remembered.”
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Fulton’s statue now stands on the lawn of Medford City Hall with her title “Mother of the Boston Tea Party” engraved in big letters.

Norah Doyle is a digital media major studying journalism at Endicott College. This story was made in partnership with Gotta Know Medford.