On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere. People preserved the dishes he used, the chairs he sat on, and the beds he slept in. Many of the streets he traveled down were renamed "Washington Street." Only Governor John Hancock slighted the president, insisting that, since he was head of the Commonwealth, Washington should come to visit him. Hancock soon saw the error of his ways. The day after the president's arrival in Boston, Hancock belatedly paid his respects. His legs covered in bandages, he claimed an excruciating attack of gout had prevented him from welcoming the president. In the interest of promoting unity, Washington accepted the explanation with characteristic grace.