The classic Thanksgiving poem titled “Over the River and Through the Wood” cheerfully depicts Medford native and poem writer Lydia Maria Child’s memories of visiting her grandfather’s house as a young girl.
Today, Child’s legacy lives on right in her hometown just north of Boston through the Over the Mystic: River Route, a walking loop cleverly referencing the novelist and poet’s finest work that features ten historically significant landmarks along the way.
As you drive, bicycle or walk along roads such as Governors Avenue, Lawrence Road. and Winthrop Street in Medford, you are likely to spot signs that read: “Over the Mystic: River Route.” Some signs may not be in view of the Mystic River, causing confusion among those wondering what the signs mean.
The signs mark a walking loop circling those roadways that eventually lead someone on foot to a portion of the river, a route made possible in part by Mass in Motion. Founded in 2014, Mass In Motion is a statewide initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health striving to reduce obesity in local communities.
Since the walking route is a complete circle, there is no start or endpoint. Pedestrians can begin the 1.7-mile journey anywhere.
Syrah McGivern, a former Mass In Motion coordinator who was also based in the Board of Health in Medford, helped establish the walking route with the help of other local nonprofits. McGivern and fellow volunteers worked to create this route with the goal of making walking more accessible in the area.
“It’s just a fun little walk,” McGivern said. “We wanted to encourage people to go for a quick walk around the Medford square area and get some exercise.”
Funded by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the river route was specifically designed to lead users to different landmarks of historical importance in Medford in addition to the river.
For example, the designated loop guides pedestrians to the Medford Historical Society and the Women’s Club House on Governors Avenue as well as the former opera house on High Street.
Dee Morris, a historian local to Medford who has written numerous books about the area and leads walking tours around the city, assisted McGivern in curating the walking route nearly 10 years ago. Morris wants users of the route to become aware of their surroundings along the path and learn a bit of Medford’s history as they make their way down to the Mystic.
“[In regard to the variety of buildings along the walking route,] you have to sort of stop and look at them,” Morris said. “That’s what we hoped people would do as they would go on this route.”
For example, located at 114 South St. along the walking loop, Child’s grandfather’s house famously referenced in her poem can be seen as pedestrians make their way through the route.
Morris emphasized the importance of making the historic landmarks along the walking loop diverse and compelling at the time of the route’s conception. She hopes that people utilizing the walking route become more connected to the community and view Medford in a different light than just a city that happens to be close to Boston and in the Mystic River watershed.
Though some signs referencing the waterway are north of the Mystic River, they are meant to serve as guidance for users of the route to stay along the loop. As you walk further south, the Over the Mystic: River Route signs will lead you to a section of the Mystic River off Winthrop St. and High St., south of Route 16 just before the Interstate 93 connector.
“The purpose of the funding [toward the river route] was to encourage people to walk by the river,” McGivern said. “We wanted to create a walking route in Medford while also tying it into bringing people down to the water.”
As is commonplace with many New England walkways and roadways, maintenance is a concern that is not as addressed as some would like it to be. This includes the sidewalks and pathways that make up the Over the Mystic: River Route.
McGivern explained the Medford Department of Public Works assisted in initial maintenance to ensure that there were no hazards on the sidewalks and that the pathways were up to par. There has not been consistent maintenance coming from the state regarding this particular route since it was created nearly one decade ago, according to McGivern.
Jennifer Valentyn, a volunteer with WalkMedford, another local nonprofit group advocating for increased walking as a means of transportation in the city, further explained the importance of maintaining walkways.
A combination of the city of Medford and the state of Massachusetts own streets in the community, according to Valentyn, meaning that blame for dilapidated sidewalks can be difficult to cast on the correct entity.
“Disgruntled citizens who see neglect on our streets may develop a negative attitude toward our city,” Valentyn said. “However, it could very well be a state problem.”
Valentyn offered a solution, suggesting that privatizing streets would be a way to increase the quality of pathways. Shifting ownership from public to private would allow community members and volunteers to take action into their own hands without needing to rely on the city or the state.
The next time you safely make your way Over the Mystic on the River Route to grandfather’s house and beyond, take a look around and absorb some of the historical landmarks along the path on your way toward the river.
Kaley Brown is a journalism student at Endicott College.
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