Yesterday our personal Magical History Tour continued. It was ADAMS Day which included Jake and Brady ADAMS, along with cousins, Addy, “Yeagan” and Quinn visiting the Abigail ADAMS house in North Weymouth, the birth houses of both John ADAMS and John Quincy ADAMS in Quincy Massachusetts and the ADAMS estate on ADAMS street also in Quincy Massachusetts.

Abigail ADAMS, wife of our second president and mother to our sixth president was born in this edifice on November 22, 1744. The home is situated on the grounds of the Old North Cemetery in my home town of Weymouth Massachusetts.

We began our Magical History Tour here and to my dismay there was nobody there, the place was locked and there were no signs of operation, openings, closings. Just an air of less than indifference. And as we peeked in the one window we could around the back, nowhere could we see the picture of Senator John Kennedy signing the guestbook in 1958. Disappointing!

Sorry Abigail, you deserved better than that!

Undaunted we moved forward and it was over the Fore River Bridge and on to Quincy.

The Fore River Shipyard opened in 1893 and closed in 1986. During that time hundreds of ships were built, one of which, whose name I’ve forgotten, I saw christened as a kid!

When the 1918 baseball season was shortened and players had to seek employment in “essential industries”, Red Sox pitcher and outfielder Babe Ruth consideration working here and playing on their baseball team. He ended up playing a few games in Lebanon Pennsylvania.

Babe Ruth, back row third from left on the Bethlehem Steel Team in Lebanon PA, 1918. Shoeless Joe is kneeling, third rom left in front of Babe.

We arrived at the ADAMS estate on ADAMS street and hopped the ADAMS trolley….

to the birth houses.

Keeping busy waiting for the trolley or the “tain” as Quinny called it.

John ADAMS was born in the upstairs room (top right) on October 30, 1735.

John ADAMS sat for this portrait at 88. It hangs in the ADAMS house on ADAMS Street.

John Quincy ADAMS was: the first president to be photographed, the only president to return to serve in the Congress after serving as president and he actually died in the Capital Building. He rose from his desk to speak and suffered a stroke. That desk is on display in the library at the ADAMS estate on ADAMS street in Quincy.

The troops listening to the remarkable story of the ADAMS family.

It was heartwarming to see these young minds absorbed in the stories of the ADAMS’. It has always been and will remain, my contention that people love history they just don’t know it! For all it is, is stories and we all love stories. Watching the attentiveness of my troops ranging in age from 12 to 3 as they were regaled with the ADAMS story was delightful.

And we were not even close to done! For it was back to the main house and when we arrived we learned that we had our own special tour of the big house!

Carol took us through the house and made every one of those kids feel how special and important was the house, all that was in it and for them to continue to tell the ADAMS story.

A splendid time was had by all and each kid had their thing they liked the best! Brady liked the gardens and the John Quincy ADAMS library at the big house. Jake liked the visit to the Hingham Shipyard where he looked out over the water where shipbuilders worked round the clock turning out ships to stop the madness of Hitler and Hirohito. Addy liked the kitchen sink at the big house. “Yeagan” also liked the library as well as the portrait (seen above) of John Adams which hung in his living room. The eyes followed you throughout. Quinny summed it up the best; she just liked being with her cousins, Jake and Brady, the ADAMS boys.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox continued their fall into the abyss of 2015 and as a diversion I took a tip toe backwards to find that in the entire history of the franchise, there have been two players who bore the great American name of ADAMS.

Bob ADAMS pitched two games for the Red Sox in 1925. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up five runs, 10 hits had one strikeout and three walks. He’d fit right in with this year’s staff.

The other one….

Terry ADAMS had an 11 year career and pitched in 19 games for the 2004 World Champion Red Sox; going 2-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched. He joined them on July 25th and beat the Angels and Orioles in September.

Neither of them was as good as John, or John Quincy or Abigail!!!

Oh and the best part of the day for me…..

Quinny calling everybody in for hugs!!!!

And so it is on this day in Fenway history, ADAMS day, July 23, 2015.