Closing piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, used with permission.
I was privileged to see a copy of The Constitution of the United States. Wikipedia tells me that The Freedom Train visited Bridgeport, Connecticut, on October 3, 1949, and I was honored to have a visit by a neighboring family.
I remember it was on a siding near that area of our city known as Black Rock. The gleaming white locomotives and coaches were parked on an industrial siding, which was accessible by foot and car, unlike the freight yard near my home.
I don’t remember much about the incident except to say the crowd was large but extremely orderly and quick-moving. The “traffic” was one-way; we boarded one car and exited at the far end of the second car.
Viewers were ushered onto the train by marines in green uniforms; it was a warm evening. We were directed through two air-conditioned cars, which contained copies of The Mayflower Compact, a display of Henry at Agincourt (signing of the Magna Carta), and finally, a copy of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.