Concord Village is named after the successful 1600's pilgram settlement near Plymouth Rock, a town which was later immortalized by Paul Revere's Ride to warn Concord, the first battleground of the revoluationary war. In the 1800's, Concord writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau created the first "American literary voice." This blog explores some of that early history and the history of our own modern Concord Village here in Arizona.
The town of Concord Massachuesetts played an important role in the underground railroad. Click on the map to the left to download a PDF of significant locations in Concord used by slaves escaping Southern states. At least a dozen buildings in Concord are known to have hidden rooms which housed slaves during part of their year-long nighttime trek North.
Dictionary.com defines "concord" as an "agreement between persons, groups, nations, etc.; concurrence in attitudes, feelings, etc.; unanimity; accord; agreement between things; mutual fitness; harmony; peace; amity; a treaty; compact; covenant." The original Concord Village in Massachuessetts was named as such in 1635 because of the peaceful accord with the neighboring natives from whom they purchased the land just a few months earlier.
Concord's agricultural interests continued on with their 200-year deforestation process until in 1850 the forest only covered about 10% of the land, compared to 90% when the native Algonquians lived here, leaving only the forest around Second Division Brook and Walden Woods. The town's giant sponge, its forest, is largely gone, so water levels rise taking in surrounding industrial pollutants even sewage. Many swamps are drained for pasture, but with extensive erosion and sedimentation, farmland ditches must be dug out regularly. Farm size decreases and land is used intensively. With the nearly extinct wilderness and further encroachments of modern society as a backdrop, Concord's home-brewed brand of naturalist writers began to explore the purity of nature and man's role in the natural order of things.
Concord Village started the 18th century 70% forested with sawmills buzzing. More roads are built, and the town center is a busy crossroad and gathering place. At the 1775 Revolution it is only about 30% forested. and as hunting continues, game grows increasingly scarce. Cultivation, pastures, and wandering livestock cause erosion, sedimentation, and murky waterways. Productive soils and woodlot firewood are scarce, so subsistence farming becomes common. As the local people face scarcity, British rule and taxation taking away further money and resources begins to seem unreasonable.
The original town of Concord Village in Massachuesetts was founded in 1635 when an English merchant peacefully purchased six square miles of land from local natives. The village was named for the uniquely harmonious "concord" (or accord) struck with local Algonquians.
At the time of the purchase, the Concord area was 90% forest-covered and was the first official town in the interior of the Massachusetts Bay. This was the unspoiled rugged West of the day.
Sometimes, as the ONLY HUD financed coop in Arizona, Concord Village feels quite alone. No one really understands us, not propsective buyers, not the banks or the courts, and sometimes, not even our members.
However, while Concord is the only HUD coop in the state, we are not alone in the nation. In 2012, we are among 340 coops that are financed by HUD, and below is the list.
- AZ - Concord Village, 631 E Lexington Pl, Tempe AZ 85281
- CA - Amar Plaza, 15622 Amar Rd, La Puente CA 91746
- CA - Ammel Park Coop, 656 Grove St, San Francisco CA 94102
- CA - Anchor Down Mobile Park, 260 E. Bradley, San Diego CA 92021
- CA - Astoria Gardens, 14015 Astoria St Ste A, Sylmar CA 91342
- CA - Capitol Manor, 175 N Capitol Ave, San Jose CA 95127
- CA - Clifford Manor, 240 Clifford Ave, Watsonville CA 95076
- CA - Diamond View Apts, 296 Addison St, San Francisco CA 94131
- CA - Dos Pinos Housing Cooperative, 2550 Sycamore Ln, Davis CA 95616
- CA - Eastern Gardens Coop., 3045 Eastern Ave, Sacramento CA 95821
- CA - Finley Square, 407 - 417 East 120Th, Los Angeles CA 90061
- CA - Florin Gardens Apts. Cooperative, 6951 24Th St, Sacramento CA 95822
- CA - Florin Gardens Coop East #1, 2471 57Th Ave, Sacramento CA 95822
- CA - Florin Gardens Coop. East, Phase II, 2536 Wah Ave, Sacramento CA 95822
- CA - Freedom West I, 820 Mcallister St, San Francisco CA 94102
- CA - Freedom West II, 621 Gough St, San Francisco CA 94102
- CA - Garden Grove Manor, 10632 Bolsa Ave, Garden Grove CA 92643
- CA - Glenridge Apartments, 137 Addison St, San Francisco CA 94131
- CA - Golf Greens Mobil Estates, 8665 Florin Road, Sacramento CA 95828
- CA - Heron Court, 350 Gunter Ln, Redwood City CA 94065
- CA - Hollywood West Apts, 5712 La Mirada Ave, Los Angeles CA 90038
- CA - John Muir Homes I, 3441 Sentinel, Martinez CA 94553
- CA - John Muir Townshouses II, 3441 Sentinel Dr, Martinez CA 94553
- CA - Las Casas De Madera, 510 E Market St, Salinas CA 93905
- CA - Loren Miller Homes, 950 Buchanan, Bldg #2 St, San Francisco CA 94102
- CA - Martin Luther King/Marcus Garvey Sq, 1680 Eddy St, San Francisco CA 94115
- CA - Mayfair Golden Manor, 2627 Madden Ave, San Jose CA 95116
- CA - Northridge Coop Homes, 1 Ardath Ct, San Francisco CA 94124
- CA - Oak Knolls Apts #1, 6 Bucklew St, Marin City CA 94965
- CA - Pecan Park Mobile Home Estates, 14215 Pecan Park Lane, El Cajon CA 92021
- CA - Ponderosa Estates, 913 Drake Ave, Marin City CA 94965
- CA - Professional Hsg & Dev, 1020 S Kingsley Dr, Los Angeles CA 90029
- CA - San Pedro Townhouse #1, 13935 San Pedro St, Los Angeles CA 90061
- CA - San Pedro Townhouse #2, 13913 S. San Pedro St, Los Angeles CA 90061
- CA - Savo Island Cooperative Homes, 2017 Stuart St, Berkeley CA 94703
- CA - Southgate Town & Terrace, 7543 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento CA 95823
- CA - Unity, Peace & Freedom, 220 Cashmere St, San Francisco CA 94124
- CA - Voorhis Village, 505 N San Dimas Canyon Rd, San Dimas CA 91773