William Schofield, a journalist in Boston, first thought of creating the Freedom Trail. In 1951, he suggested building a walking trail to connect many of the important historic places in Boston. Boston's mayor, John Hynes, agreed. The Trail was marked with red bricks and red paint, and signs were added along the way to explain the importance of the Trail's 16 stops. By 1953, 40,000 people were walking the Freedom Trail every year.