BEDFORD, Mass. – April 13, 2025 — The town of Bedford launched Massachusetts’ semiquincentennial celebrations on Saturday with its annual Liberty Pole Capping ceremony, officially opening a two-year statewide observance marking 250 years since the start of the American Revolution.
Hundreds gathered at Willson Park to witness the symbolic reenactment, which has been part of Bedford tradition for decades. The ceremony centres on the raising of a tall wooden pole, capped with a red knitted hat — a colonial-era symbol of defiance against British rule.
The event featured a procession led by local Minutemen, musket volleys, and fife-and-drum music. As in years past, the cap was placed by a member of the Bedford Minutemen who climbed the pole in full Revolutionary War regalia.
The ceremony pays homage to an act of resistance used by American colonists in the years leading up to the war. The red cap atop the pole served as a message of protest against the Crown — and in Bedford, it now serves as a tribute to those who took up arms in 1775.
The town also claims a unique connection to that era as home to what is believed to be the oldest known American flag — the Bedford Flag. First carried into battle on April 19, 1775, the flag features the Latin motto “Vince Aut Morire” (“Conquer or Die”) and a disembodied arm wielding a sword. It remains a potent symbol of the town’s Revolutionary roots.
Two local residents with deep ties to the annual observance were recognised for their longstanding involvement. James F. Comley, a third-generation Bedford resident and member of the Sons of the Revolution, attended the event alongside his son-in-law, Clifford Washer. Washer was a longtime member of the Bedford Minutemen and spent nearly a decade portraying the soldier who caps the Liberty Pole during the reenactment.
The ceremony marked the first in a series of events planned across the Commonwealth as part of the Massachusetts 250 initiative, which will run through 2026. The initiative aims to honour the people, places, and stories that shaped the American Revolution and its enduring legacy.
More information about upcoming events can be found at massachusetts250.org.
