Eagle Feathers #157 – God Bless America

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

“God Bless America” is our unofficial anthem and was written one century ago this year in 1918 by Irving Berlin. This hymn was hidden in his desk drawer for twenty years before he dusted it off and revived it for Kate Smith to sing during World War II. Kate made her debut at Davis Square’s Somerville Theatre when she was a teenager, and by 1943 she was considered the musical voice of America.

The most common symbol of America on July 4th is her flag that is raised from coast to coast while often illuminated by fireworks. The first time it was raised was in the presence of General Washington on Somerville’s Prospect Hill on New Year’s Day in 1776.

Somerville has been fertile ground for American history throughout her annals.

• What does the 4th of July mean to us? It should mean more to Somerville residents than most. As part of Charlestown for 213 years, it shared the same day of settlement. It was July 4th, 1629. This day would become a celebrated date in American history. Out of the ten cities and towns that originally made up Charlestown, Somerville was her last daughter to leave in 1842.

• On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere made his historic ride into now East Somerville at Charlestown Neck. While originally riding toward Cambridge on today’s Washington Street, he was intercepted by the British Cavalry. With horsemanship and destiny on his side, he retraced his escape route over Winter Hill and on to Lexington.

• The first official state celebration of the 4th of July was in Massachusetts in 1781.
• In 1783, Boston was the first municipality to officially designate July 4th as a holiday.
• The most historic and the longest in-service ship in our Navy is the 221-year old U.S.S. Constitution. Berthed in Charlestown, she was named after the document that proclaims our liberty and affirms our freedom – America’s Constitution. We celebrate the signing of this law of our land every July 4th. Heroic Captain Richard Somers, the namesake of Somerville, spent the last day of his life on this ship’s deck. He died in action in 1804 attempting to destroy the enemy fleet during the Tripolian War.
• The first ship constructed in Massachusetts was the “Blessing of the Bay.” She was built in Somerville at Ten Hills on the Mystic River by Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop, launched on July 4, 1631, and became the forerunner of America’s Coast Guard and Navy. Who could ever have imagined that this date would become so significant to Somerville and critical to American history?