Forest History
This page is currently (and for a long time to come) under construction.
This Page Was Last Updated on 12/19/04 08:50 AM
At present this page is a compiling of information that I and others have gathered over the years. There is very little emphasis on content flowing, at this time, but sooner or later I plan on making this into a complete and constantly updated history of the Groton State Forest.
This page will always be slow to load and best viewed with a current version of Internet Explorer. Image quality is “poor” due to the fact that most images are from old black and white photos or newsprint. In order to help conserve some bandwidth, images will be links or thumbnails, use your right mouse button and select view image for a full size view, then use your browsers back button to return.If you have any information or old photos that you think would be helpful, please contact me at petebraig@pivot.net
- Overview
- Image Map
- The Montpelier And Wells River Railroad
- Lakeside Station
- Rocky Point Flag Stop
- Ricker Mill
- The Miller and Ayres Mill
- -The Rob Miller Mill, by an unknown author
- Peabody’s Mill
- Lanesboro
- Goslant’s Pond
- Kettle Pond
- Coldwater Brook
- Osmore Pond
- Owl’s Head
- Civilian Conservation Corps Camps
- -Marshfield C.C.C. Camp
- -Ricker Mills C.C.C. Camp
- -A Typical Vermont C.C.C. Camp, By Gino Carmolli, Camp Educational Advisor
- Devil’s Hill
- The Log Pile
- Lake Groton
- Groton Pond Camping, As told by Charles Lord
- Jerry Lund Hill
- Noyes Pond
- Chronological Listing of Development
- Summary of Land Use History
- Acquisition History of Lands in the Groton Management Unit
- Park Development History
- Tours
- More Photos
- Closing Comment, By Ray McIntyre, Groton State Forest’s longest working Ranger
OverviewWherever you go in Groton State Forest, people have been there before you.Perhaps an Indian trail passed through the woodlands around you. The Abenaki are known to have camped and hunted here, although there is little record of their presence. Soldiers and explorers (often with Indian guides) also passed this way, using Groton as a portage area between the Winooski and Connecticut Rivers.When this spot was in a grove of towering trees, it was probably logged by early settlers. Maybe a poor immigrant tried to farm the rocky soil beneath your feet and failed.In the last century, Groton has seen the dramatic rise and fall of the railroad and the logging towns. But the tradition of camping along the ponds, begun in prehistoric times, has endured.Today, signs of the past are evident throughout the forest. This page will take you to some notable historic sites, but there are clues everywhere, a story for each visitor to unravel.Following is a brief history, a guide to historic sites, and suggested tours by foot and by car.During the French and Indian Wars, Groton was visited by hunting bands of Indians and raiding parties of both English and French. As early as 1704, the area’s network of ponds, brooks and rivers was the route the French and Indians took to carry over 100 captives from Deerfield, Massachusetts north to Canada. Groton was a rugged wilderness then. Mountain lions, timber wolves, and lynx roamed the hills. Recalling these early times, General A. Harleigh Hall wrote in 1877: Here solitude reigned supreme, broken only by the hungry cry of some wild animal. The Indians roamed over the trackless forests or glided swiftly over the placid water of the pond in their light canoes. There were no permanent settlers in Groton until after the American Revolution. Veterans of the war, along with many ambitious youths from lower New England, moved north to Vermont. These pioneers sought water and trails for transportation, land suitable for farming and available resources for building. Groton was settled early, being accessible to the Connecticut and Wells Rivers. Captain Edmund Morse, one of the first settlers in Groton, arrived in 1783. Morse built the town’s first saw and grist mill on the outlet of what is now called Ricker Pond. A sawmill was in operation on this same site until the early 1960’s. Captain Morse also built the first frame house and was the town’s first blacksmith and military captain. The village of Groton was chartered in 1789, The town received this name because many of its settlers were natives of Groton, Massachusetts, The Massachusetts town, in turn, had been named after Governor John Winthrop’s mansion in England. This pattern of naming villages was prevalent in colonial times. The land outside the village was left as “wild land, being too rocky to farm. This region was heavily forested with spruce, hemlock, beech, birch, maple and white pine. Local farmers cut the tree-covered hillsides for fuel, lumber, and the making of potash. Through the years, the main industry has been logging. Sawmills have operated at about twelve different sites in the town of Groton. These include the Goslant Mill at Lanesboro, Ricker’s Mill on Ricker Pond, the Miller and Ayers Mill on Groton Pond, Peabody’s Mill by Stillwater, and Darling’s Mill at Seyon Pond. The mills frequently changed owners, but these are the names by which they are remembered. The Montpelier and Wells River Railroad, completed in November of 1873, gave Groton’s sawmills easy access to a wood – hungry market. With in years, new mills sprang up and old ones enlarged to meet the demand for lumber. This railroad, a connection between the Central Vermont Railroad and the Boston and Maine System, was for many years the only access to the ponds. The railroad opened the area to a another kind of settler – the seasonal camper. The earliest camps along the shores of Groton Pond date to 1894. Within ten years it was an established practice for local Vermonters to spend from July 4 to Labor Day by the Pond. Camps were opened again in late fall for hunting. Disembarking at either Lakeside Station or the Rocky Point Flag Stop, the campers would take a boat to their cabins on distant shores. Then, as now, swimming, boating, hiking, fishing and berry-picking were the main forms of recreation. From the diary of Mrs. Charles Lord, August 22, 1908: We have been here 3 weeks. Have had a fine time. Quite a quantity of fish and berries of all kinds – raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The logs were all away here the first of August. The steamer only made a few trips while we were here… The screeching of a wildcat has been heard several times and Ralph saw it once and shot at it. The boys have gone to the foot of the pond… to fish and to get their father who is coming on the 4 o’clock train. There is no virgin forest left. Groton has been heavily logged for timber and to supply the wood-burning trains. The area was devastated by several forest fires (the largest were in 1876, 1883, and 1908) and hit by a hurricane in 1938. The state bought its first tract of land here in 1919 and has continued to enlarge its holdings. By 1975, the forest reached approximately 25,000 acres. The Civilian Conservation Corps, a government work program during the great depression of the 1930’s, was instrumental in park and campground development. The main forest road (Route 232) was started by the C.C.C. They also planted trees and built hiking trails, picnic shelters and stone fireplaces. Groton is now managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation for summer and winter recreation, forestry, and wildlife habitat. |
The following pages describe the sites located on the map below. Use your browsers back button to return to the map. You may look for these as you travel through the forest. Suggested tours of Groton by foot, mountain bike or horseback are given at the end of this page.
Image Map
POINTS OF HISTORIC INTEREST
8. Goslant’s PondNow named Spice Pond, this small pond used to be on the property of Mitchel Goslant. Goslant owned thousands of acres in the Lanesboro area. |
10. Coldwater BrookUp Coldwater Brook, the stone foundation of a old waterwheel-powered mill can be seen. This was a small up and down sawmill which operated before the Civil War. |
11. Osmore PondThis pond received its name from Aaron Hosmer, a hunter who camped here before any permanent settlements existed. |
14. Devil’s HillThe story goes that a Peacham man was heading home over the ridge one evening and saw a large, dark bird over this hill. He swore it was the devil and ever since this has been Devil’s Hill. |
15. The Log Pile
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16. Lake GrotonThis lake has had several names. One of the earliest was Big Lund, after Silas Lund who owned a large amount of land. It changed to Long Pond, then Wells River Pond. For many years since, it has been known locally as Groton Pond, or just the Pond. GROTON POND CAMPING My folks tell me that I first went to the Pond when I was about 1 year old, the summer of 1903. My recollection of being there was one time when my father and brothers were putting on roofing on the porch on Camp Fairview and during this process a large hawk was seen flying over the pond near camp. This would make it the summer of 1906 or 1907. The next incident I recall was when my father went to get some drinking water in Cold Brook after supper and hearing him holler for someone to bring a gun . I thought at least he had seen a bear, but it turned out he had treed a porcupine, which they shot. Another time after supper, a group of men and boys scared up a half grown rabbit which they more or less surrounded and my father caught it by making a dive and getting it by the legs. They eventually let it go. At this time it was pretty much open in that area, only a few small trees and brush. I also recall the time that my mother took a picture of Alice, Wendall and myself gathered around an old pine stump. Wendall is just standing, Alice was looking for a butterfly and I was painting a small toy boat. (The stump was still visible in 1970.) It was at the next camp, the Carpenter’s, (now owned by Proudfoot) and I believe the Tellier family was staying there, that I got my first taste of dried beef. It came in a round tin can of at least 5 lb. capacity. The contents were wrapped in a sort of butter paper and the container had a removable top or lid.There were several camps nearby, all owned or occupied by Groton people; the Clarks, Carpenters, Pillsburys, and Dr. I.N. Eastmans. Other camps farther down the lake on the east side was the Plainfield camps; Batchelors and Balls. The Gale’s and Edson’s camps were on the west side about halfway down and then further down on the same side was Robinson’s (they had a sailboat) and the camp built by Ayers. There were several others and all these were built by 1910 or a few years later.When people went camping in those days it was for a week or more and large amounts of food, clothing, etc., were taken in on the first trip, as transportation was not as convenient as now. We came by train to Lakeside (the station nearest the foot of the pond) where all the baggage was toted nearly a mile to the pond’s edge (or a team could be hired from the mill to haul the articles) then all the stuff was stowed in a boat, rowed the length of the pond and carried into camp. There was no road into the area, no refrigeration (later on some campers put up ice) no electricity, no telephone and no outboard motors. So it was expedient to bring everything in on the first trip, if possible. Once settled in camp, things leveled out and one could relax. Some common staples of food and milk could be gotten at the small store operated by the mill. There was also a post office there.Up until around 1924, the mill was operating and during the winter, logs were cut and hauled to the so called ‘log pile’ near the present State bathing beach (Spencer’s camp) (Boulder Beach). A small steamer made trips daily on the pond to haul these logs to the mill and so groceries were sometimes delivered to the log pile where they were picked up by the campers. Most lake transportation was by rowing or motor boats. I still like to row.In the early days, there weren’t too many other kids to play with. I recall the Tellier girls, Peter Thurston, Nelson Ricker, Franklin Clark, the Frost kids and occasionally some kids from Groton. There were other children on the pond, but they were strangers and we seldom got to know them. Such was our limited world. I remember the forest fire of 1908 (I was nearly 5 years old) which started one hot day in mid-summer in back of the Plainfield camp. They said it was started by the dumping of hot ashes. Anyway, it got going in mid-day and spread eastward up the slope towards Jerry Lund hill and became quite a fire. I recall it burning at night and seeing the flames shooting or flaring up, as it burned some particular trees. Some of the men from Miller’s mill came to protect the pile of logs at the ‘log pile’. Also, some of the men campers went to the scene and they did save Ball’s motor boat, but not the camp. The fire burned for quite a while and over a sizable chunk of land, mostly Ricker’s. Next summer, we kids were able to get birch bark from the standing fire killed white birches and we made torches of this material. I can’t remember much fishing or boating at this stage of things. What we ate or how I slept is all blank. Needless to say, my waking hours were concerned only with playing. Cooking was done on a wood stove and some perishables were placed in a tight metal container and kept in Cold Brook. At first, our drinking water came from Cold Brook and then later on from a small stream that comes from the area where Deer Mountain State camp now is. (Big Deer Campground) In 1910 my folks sold Camp Fairview and built another camp directly westward across the pond. This camp (Greyledge), is now owned by my sister, Alice Goodine. The area at that time was heavily wooded and there were no camps in that area. Am Hooper, about this time, built his camp (Rockhaven) on the next lot northward, now owned by Tom Eastman. Am used to refer to the area across the pond where Fairview was, as “Bingville”. He liked to camp and fish in the pond. He lived on a farm Peacham way, near the North Ryegate school and many a time he would cross lots through the woods from his farm to camp and return. As with camp Fairview, the new camp was built as economically as possible, the rafters, studding and floor joists were all poles which were cut in the so called swamp near Stillwater Brook. The siding and roof boards were square edged, random length hemlock, which I believe cost all of $9 per M. The lumber was gotten at Miller’s. Frank Hanchett out on the roofing and the sides were covered with a metal siding that simulated brick. We sometimes walked down to camp from the railroad following the Tin Pan Trail. I recall much more about fishing , rowing, and swimming at this time, as I was much older. We got our drinking water at the head of the pond from the same source that the Forest service now does (Big Deer pump house). We had acquired a small ‘steel boat’, this boat was easy to handle and row and I spent a lot of time in it. Also did more pond fishing, a meal of perch could be had most any time. Also in season, there was an abundance of blue berries and a lesser amount of blackberries and raspberries. Dr. Tillotson built a camp just north of Am Hooper’s so we had a tight little group of camps. I remember the Dr. and one of the Emery’s (Archie, I believe) planting the Scotch pine around his camp, and also seeing them start lining out a swarm of honey bees. For kids to play with, there was Franklin Clark, whose folks spent a lot of time at camp (especially his Grandmother Clark) and periodically other Groton kids. By midsummer, the level of the water in the pond had fallen low enough, so that we kids could traverse around the head of the pond way over to where the State bathing area now is. We played many a game of “duck on the rock”. etc. near this area. Rocks and two small islands became visible and we sometimes played train by leaving passengers on these rocks and islands and then picking them up later. We also made small dams, etc. where the brooks entered the pond and of course we were constantly in and out of the water. I recall Franklin and I fishing down at the foot of the pond opposite the mill and also getting milk and groceries at the store. For a couple of summers, my brother Ralph ran the steamer for Miller and I had quite a few rides in it. It was thrilling. I was about 10-11 years old at the time. After the big fire of 1903, which started in Lanesboro and burned over Owl’s Head, Little Deer and Big Deer mountains, Stillwater campground and as far easterly as Cold Brook and part way down on both sides of the pond, plus the fire of 1908 left lots of standing dead trees, plus good feed for the deer, plenty of wild flowers for the honey bees and lots of blueberries, all flourishing in the 20-25 years after the fire. Now it is particularly grown up and the deer , blueberries and honey bees have been drastically reduced. At one time there were quite extensive beds of rhododendron and trailing arbutus, but these have been stifled out by the growth of the woods. At the pond side near Rocky Point, there were quite extensive beds of rhododendron and lesser ones at the foot and head of the pond. Trailing arbutus could be found in the swamp area near Stillwater Brook, also blueberries here. At one time around 1914-15, people came from miles around to pick blueberries. At one time, Gus Tellier was out picking blueberries in a lumbered over area near the bog, when he got lost and finally coming out in Jennison Hill in Peacham. Some of the Jennisons who were then living there (long abandoned) showed him the way back. Blueberries could be found also on the mountain tops, especially on Owl’s Head. One time, probably around 1915, my father got off at Tin Pan and started to walk down the foot trail and somehow he got off the trail and got turned around. Realizing he was lost and as it was getting dark, he built himself a shelter and spent the night in the woods. The next morning he showed up at camp, none the worse for his adventure. No one got very excited, for we didn’t know for sure if he was coming that P.M. or not. The boys went berrying , but we were more interested in rowing, swimming and just plain playing. We did go fishing in the pond and caught many a meal of perch. My father was not one for fishing, but sometimes in the evening he would fish off the rock in front of camp and puff on his pipe (he never smoked much). One time, years ago, a caught a trout, at least 100 or more. There used to be trout in the pond. Also the early lumbermen cut big white pine as a preferred timber crop. There are a few big old white pine stumps left, generally fire scarred. One berrying experience I recall, there were 3 of us kids; Nelson Ricker, Wilfred Legare and myself. We took the path that went from Dr. Tillotson’s camp to the swamp and as we were walking along and talking loudly, Am Hooper and Dr. Tillotson heard us coming and hid in the bushes beside the trail and as we approached, they began to growl, make noises like a wildcat or bear. Needless to say, we suddenly turned tail and hot footed it back to camp, thus ending our berry picking for the day. Am and the Dr. got a big laugh out of it, but we didn’t for a while. Fred Welch of Groton, resurrected the hull of an old steam launch, fixing it up with a gas engine and he carried passengers on the pond, mostly blueberry pickers. Around 1909, we built a boat house at the foot of the pond and my father built a motor boat – he sent for the plans, lumber and machinery. It was about 18’ long and had a single cylinder Detroit engine, a 2 cycle. The boat pattern was by Brooks. The boat ran fine and is now owned by Dr. Clark and family, who still run it. As mentioned before, I was constantly rowing and fishing from the tin boat. One time I was setting a cane pole near the head of the pond (about opposite Howard Page’s camp) and in my exertions to push the pole into the bottom, I pushed the boat out from under me and I fell in. Inasmuch as I couldn’t swim much, I did a bit of thrashing about before I got hold of the boat and got back in. One time when my brothers were at camp during deer season (I wasn’t there) a buck appeared on the beach near Cold Brook and it ran down the beach towards the ‘log pile’. My brother began to shoot across the pond at the deer and the bunch staying in the Carpenter camp, also began to shoot. This latter group were ‘boozed up a bit’. Anyway, the deer escaped unharmed, but later on in talking about it, Johnny Hatch (one of the Carpenter camp bunch) said that one of my brother’s shots came close as he saw the bullet go between the deer’s horns. When my brother Ralph shot his first buck, near the foot of Owl’s Head, my father who was with him, helped to drag it out. However, it got dark and they were still in the woods, so Ralph got Duffy Pillsbury and crew (they were in Am Hooper’s camp) to help drag out the deer. They went back and found my father and the deer to help and with lanterns they got the deer out easily. About the time I was 12, I began to hunt some with older boys and my brothers. I had a Hopkins and Allen single shot 22. I have related elsewhere about shooting at a deer with this rifle. I finally shot my one and only buck in 1929 near the top of Big Deer. I found out how much work was involved and have been careful ever since. I like to hunt, but not to kill. One time, I believe it was in early winter (Nov or Dec) about 1913-1914 (the same time my father built the hand sled) the lumbermen were moving into the French camp. There was some snow and the pond had frozen over – for I could hear the teamsters shouts and the tinkle of sled bells as the teams journeyed up the Cold Brook log road towards the ‘French’ camp. In the summer, we kids would occasionally go to the ‘log pile’ and watch the men, generally Portuguese, assemble rafts of logs which work required them to be constantly waist deep in the water. There was a long wharfing where the steamer came to pick up the tow of logs. It was also good fishing here. Towards Stillwater Brook the shore line was rocky and as the water went down we used to hop, skip and run over these rocks. One time I miscalculated and fell, making an abrasive cut over one eye, resulting in some blood and some bellowing. Another time I was using an ax when I cut myself on the left shin bone, but nothing serious. During one deer hunting stay at camp Greystone, I was unloading my brother’s 38-55, which held 19 shots. The muzzle was on the floor and I thought I had ejected all the shells. I pulled the trigger, but there was still one left and the resulting roar turned most everyone over. My father was reading a paper and my brother, Wendell, was resting in a chair. It scared the stuffing out of me. That evening, we went hunting on Hosmer Brook and the ridge towards Cold Brook way, when we came across a water tub made out of a tree trunk and hollowed out and a maple tree that had been tapped. There was a spout and a pail on it. Occasionally, we would have a cook-out on the beach. I suppose it was more work than now as things weren’t as handy as they are now. Anyway, I can only recall one or two. Once it was on the beach in front of my present camp. I remember catching some perch which we fried on the spot. At camp, we had simple meals. I can recall how good the boiled coffee and condensed milk tasted. Also the canned beans and tomatoes and the many meals of fish plus berries in season. Once in a while (in later years) we made ice cream in a hand freezer. Along about this time we had an ice house where ice which had been cut on the pond the previous winter was stored in a thick layer of sawdust. The bugs (mosquitoes and black flies) bothered us some. For bug dope we used a combination of oil of citronella, pine tar mixture and a paste called Lollycapop. Even today, the repellents haven’t improved much except that we have sprays. One expedient my father used when working outside was a so-called smudge pot which consisted of a slow burning or smoldering fire which emitted a dense smoke and could be carried around from spot to spot. This was really effective, even if one did smell like a smoked ham. We had cloth screening on our windows and I can remember on rainy nights of going to sleep listening to the patter of rain drops on the roof. I quite often slept in a bed that had a feather tick supported by ropes criss-crossed underneath. Once while living at Groton (before 1911) we came to camp Greystone, not only with ample samples, but also with a mother duck and little ones, plus some hens and a cat. What a struggle that must have been for my parents. Dr. T was quite an ardent fisherman, not only in the pond, but on the brooks. Once I went with him to Hosmer Pond (my first visit). Ricker’s old lumber camp was partly tumbled down then and today (1971). A portion of it is still visible. The Dr. fished around the west edge of Hosmer Pond. I remember the sawdust pile was quite in evidence then. It was about where the Picnic area is now. Another time we fished Coldwater Brook and I saw the ruins or remains of the old mill for the first time. The stone foundation is still quite visible today. It was about 1913 or 1914 when I first saw it. One time shortly after St. Johnsbury Academy had let out for the summer (1920), Reg Hovey, Hugh Mclean and I went to camp from St. Johnsbury by train. We stayed several days. We went to Hosmer Pond for an overnight trip and we found a tar paper shelter that someone had built and stayed there for the night. We didn’t catch many fish, but had a good time. Another time, the Pike boys and I stayed at camp a few days. About the same time there was a tote road from the head of the pond lumber camp to Cold Brook at a point about 1/4 mile below the old mill today. I can find no trace of it. It probably was used as a short cut and was not a main log road. Around 1912, I recall going trout fishing with Jim Main and my brother Ralph on Hosmer Brook and seeing Ricker’s camp (head of the pond) still intact (just about where the present road to the State Bathing Beach curves around the former Hooper Lot, NW corner) and also on and near the brook there were remains of brush piles, so this had been logged off not too long before. Ricker’s other lumber camp was visible (about this time). It was located about 1/4 mile back from the pond on the east side just south of the camp formerly owned by John French and one of the first camps on the pond. Dr. T. at one time had a small motor boat which was a home made affair. George Pillsbury came to the pond a lot. He had a rowboat named ‘Bowser’. One time he (George Pillsbury) was having a porch roof constructed at his camp and my father was helping and in the process, fell from the rafters to the porch floor. It kind of knocked the wind out of him as he hit his throat in the fall on a 2×4 rafter. However after a brief rest and a drink of water, he went back to work. As cars became more common, we sometimes drove to Ricker’s Pond and walked up the tracks to Lakeside and then go to the boathouse. By 1930 considerable agitation had arisen to get a road built from Ricker’s Pond to Groton Pond. The town put in some money, volunteers and labor which resulted in a passable road. This road followed in general the winter road used by lumbering operations. With the advent of the C.C.C., in 1933 a better road was constructed which eventually linked up with the one from the Lanesboro end. A road to the Stillwater area was soon built during the C.C.C. years and finally around 1955 a road was commenced circling the head of the pond which meant that most campers could drive to their camps. In one way this is nice and I suppose a logical development. However, if one really wants to get away from it all, there are places like the OUTPOST. We used to see deer around the edge of the pond most every night. Now with the increased noise level plus decrease in the local deer herd (due to changing browse conditions) deer are seldom seen in daylight. One time when our boathouse (at the foot of the pond) was facing east (it was moved around to face north, which is better to launch the motor boat), I fell on the rocks and got a muscle bruise. To relieve the soreness, my father got some Sloan’s Horse Lineament and applied it – result, no soreness. Generally, I was fortunate as far as serious accidents were concerned; just the usual cuts, bruises, etc. Our favorite swimming area was the beach (white sand) in front of Dr. Page’s camp. There were no camps there back then. Sometimes we used the beach between Cold Brook and the ‘log pile’. Our favorite fishing spots were most anywhere around the shore line near the mouths of the brooks with rocks and a sandy drop-off. Stillwater brook used to be good trout fishing for about 1/2 mile. The water was quite still when the culvert and a new road was built and the water level was lowered. We used long cane poles in fishing this stretch of the brook and we approached the brook by going through the swamp. Beavers made their first appearance around 1940 after working their way down from Seyon Ranch, a private club, now owned by the state. For the next 15 years or so, they created many dams and by doing so, improved the trout fishing. There are still some beavers in the area. In a few years when the feed trees grow up, they will be back – I hope. Right now the fishing is poor, both stream and pond (1971). I have never fished through the ice, but hope to do so soon. For evening recreation, we sometimes went visiting at nearby camps and occasionally played cards. I recall one time when I was about 10 or 11 that the older boys found some beer that a bunch of sports had secreted in the back of their camp (Carpenter’s I believe). Anyway some of it was brought to our camp and I had a taste of it – real beer! I’ll never forget the taste. Drinking was at a minimum. It was frowned upon in most circles. One summer Ralph’s folks, Myra, Priscilla, Mrs. Walker and I were at camp for several weeks, probably the summer of 1923, as it was near the last of Miller Mill operating. Ralph and I would walk in the morning up the Tin Pan Trail to the railroad tracks, then up the track about 1/4 mile (near Peabody’s) and just on the west side we cut and peeled poplar pulpwood. There was a log road the extension of which goes by the old dynamite shack that the C.C.C. built. We got a $3.00 a cord for it and it just about paid for the groceries we got a Miller’s store. In August 1927, my folks were at the pond and I came over to Lanesboro by car, then walked down the tracks to camp. In March 1928, Hugh and I took the train back to Montpelier arriving there at 5:30. In May 1928, Alex Graham and I drove to Hosmer Pond , leaving the car there and walking down trail to camp. Cold and windy, we still caught 10 trout on Stillwater brook and some perch which we had for supper. Another time Brooks O’Neil came with me about the same time way. From this period until 1933, we still had to walk either from Ricker’s or Hosmore Pond or come by train to Lakeside and walk and row to get to camp. By October 1933, the C.C.C. had pushed the road from Lanesboro towards the pond to a point about the town line between Peacham and Groton (opposite Owl’s Head) for we drove this far. The leaves were off and we could see the pond from this point. They continued to work towards the pond and juncture with the road from Ricker’s camp. About 1936, I bought some land on the pond from Rich Hooper and after clearing out a spot with my father, we began to build a camp. It was several years in the building. It was about 1941 before it was completed. The hurricane of 1938 blew down quite a few trees. There was a clump of 3 white birches leaning at about 45 degrees which with the aid of block and tackle, Henry (my father) and I pulled erect and propped them and they are still growing. My father did all the finish work. I supplied the unskilled labor. We eventually built a boat house and a woodshed and before the camp was sold in 1967, a road was built (1962) enabling us to drive right to camp. I retained a portion of the land on which I had started to build another camp near the pond. A road to this camp was built and my neighbors, Ray Munson and Leon Tucker, filled in the swampy area to the north, so that now we have good solid beach. All materials for the first camp had to be transported by boat from the Stillwater area to camp and that included wood. |
17. Jerry Lund HillSilas Lund’s son, Jeremiah, cleared land and farmed at the summit of this hill. The stone foundation of his home and evidence of farming are visible still. |
18. Noyes PondAt the headwaters of the south branch of the Wells River, this pond was a privately owned brook trout fishery for many years. The pond was made in the 1890’s by J.R.. Darling who operated a mill on the site. The pond changed owners many times until Harry K. Noyes of Boston bought it in 1939. Naming his holding the Seyon Trout Ranch, Noyes built a guest house and converted the Darling sawmill to a waterwheel for generating electricity. Seyon Ranch is now a day use area for fly fishing. |
Chronological Listing of DevelopmentStarting with Initial Purchase on January 1919 – Prior to state ownership Groton State Forest was a logging area employing hundreds of people at the several mills and cutting areas of the forest and area farms.Because environmental and scientific knowledge’s were not applied to logging operations, the State of Vermont, through the urgings of Perry H. Merrill, decided it was time to protect Vermont’s greatest natural resource, the forest. The unsound tree cutting methods and several devastating forest fires attributed to the acquisition of Groton State Forest.After the initial purchase, in January 1919 of approximately 5,600 acres from Mitchell Goslant, several parcels of land have been acquired, either through gift or outright purchase, making the current size about 25,000 acres.The Park Service, since its creation, has operated, maintained, and expanded the recreational facilities within the Groton State Forest. However, it should be known, the Forestry Division was responsible for founding Groton State Forest and realizing the recreational potential. Today, forestry and wildlife management play instrumental roles throughout the parks. Visitors to the area explore not only the immediate camping and day-use operations, but also, by means of several miles of multi-use trails and roads, vast acreage of log jobs, natural and wildlife areas giving them a clearer insight of environmental conservation. The following is a chronological list, broken down into biennial periods, except where noted, of development of the forested and recreational areas contained in the Groton State Forest Complex; 1919– 26,400 4 yr. Norway Spruce planted. 1920– 70,000 3 yr. Red Pine planted. 1924– 20,000 3 yr. Norway Spruce planted. 1923-24– As far as can be determined this was the first use of lookout towers on Owl’s Head and Spruce Mountain. 1925– 18,000 3 yr. Jack Pine planted. 1926 – 3,000 3 yr. Cottonwood planted. 1927 – 10,000 4 yr. Norway Spruce planted. 1928 – 7,000 3 yr. Red Pine planted. 1927-28 – Construction of a cabin for Fire Lookout Watchman on Owl’s Head. 1929 – 2,100 2 yr. European White Pine planted. 1930 – 8,000 3 yr. Norway Spruce planted. 1929-30 – Cabin built near Osmore for Forest Supervisor. 1931 – 10,000 3 yr. Norway Spruce planted. 1932 – 300 2 yr. White Ash planted. June 13, 1933 – 146th Company C.C.C. from Rhode Island made camp at Osmore Pond. November 22, 1933 – 1217 Company C.C.C. from the East Side of New York City made camp at Ricker Mills. 1933-34 – 6 miles of road constructed from Lanesboro to Ricker Mills. 1935 – 2,5000 4 yr. red Pine planted. August 2, 1935 – 1217 Company C.C.C. disbanded. August 1935 – 1162 Company C.C.C. arrived at Ricker Mills camp. September 28, 1937 – 1162 Company C.C.C. disbanded. 1937-38 – 12 miles of road through forest widened and improved, allowing two-way traffic. 1939-40 – Hurricane blows all but 1 lone tree down at Stillwater Campground loop. July 22, 1941 – 146th Company C.C.C. disbanded. C.C.C. camps turned over to the State. 1941-42 – 3 lean-tos around Kettle built. 1943-44 – Wooden lookout tower on Bellevue Hill, Spruce Mt., replaced with steel tower. 1947 – It is presumed that lookout tower on Owl’s Head was discontinued. 1949-50 – Ricker spring failed- 1450 ft of 1 1/2″ water line laid to another spring. 1953-54 – 7,000 3 yr. White Spruce planted. 1957-58 – New toilet at Ricker. 1959-62 – Boulder Beach opens 1961, toilets, dressing rooms, concession,- already use greater than planned. 1963-1964 – The Peacham Block received an exclusion designation as a natural area, to preserve the rare plants. 1965-66 – Boulder Beach expanded- beach lengthened by 200 ft., more sites, new toilet, parking lot for 60 cars constructed. (Third Lot) 1967-68 – Seyon Ranch purchased in 1967, establishing a new phase of operation. Past owners kept records which aided in creating an effective plan of population control of trout in this unspoiled natural environment. 1969-70 – At Kettle Pond a group area was developed consisting of: 27 lean-tos, 3 pit type toilets, 2 springs, a hand pump in a deep well, and a small beach. 1971-72 – Major sewage improvements were completed at Boulder Beach. 1973 – Spruce Mountain’s last season as a manned lookout tower. 1974 – Major sewage system improvements at Stillwater. 1975 – Nature Center Building started. 1977 – Extensive, aesthetic tree planting in parks.
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Summary of Land Use HistoryWherever you go in Groton State Forest and surrounding state land parcels, people have been there before. Perhaps a Native American trail passed through the woodlands. The Abenaki are known to have camped and hunted there. Soldiers and explorers, often with Native American guides, also passed through this area, using the Groton area as a portage between the Winooski and Connecticut Rivers.When there were towering trees, early settlers logged the area, and maybe a poor immigrant tried to farm the rocky soil. The apple orchards and old fields that continue to be maintained as permanent openings are reminders of the farming that took place on these lands.The dramatic rise and fall of the railroad and logging towns occurred in the Groton in the last century. Occasional reminders of these activities appear throughout these lands.The State of Vermont bought its first tract of land here in 1909 and continued to expand its holdings over the years. Since state ownership, the Groton State Forest and L.R. Jones State Forest lands have a history of continuous forest cover, timber production, and recreational use.In 1919, on the summit of Spruce Mountain, a wooden fire tower was erected as part of a statewide network of fire lookout points and replaced in 1931. The tower, which still stands on this site, was erected in 1943. The fire tower was in operation into the 1970s.The tradition of camping along the ponds, which began before European settlers, has endured and grown. During the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a government work program during the great depression of the 1930s, was instrumental in park and campground development. Vermont Route 232, the main forest road, was started by the CCC. The CCC also planted trees and built hiking trails, picnic shelters, and stone fireplaces. Acquisition History of Lands in the Groton Management UnitThe acquisition history of the various parcels of land and the development history of the parks currently administered as the Groton Management Unit are described below.Groton State Forest – The establishment of Groton State Forest began in 1919 with the purchase of 5,620 acres in the Towns of Marshfield and Peacham. A major addition to the forest complex was made in 1922 with the purchase of 10,000 acres in the Towns of Peacham and Groton. A third large acquisition took place in 1969 with the addition of the Noyes Pond area (4,090 acres) in the Town of Groton. In 1974, 3,100 acres were purchased from The Nature Conservancy in the Towns of Topsham, Orange and Groton. This is referred to as the Butterfield Mountain Block. The last major addition to Groton State Forest took place in 1975 with the addition of 1049 acres in the Towns of Plainfield and Groton.There are many smaller acquisitions to Groton State Forest that have taken place, which include some rights-of-way as well as significant resources. Three of these smaller additions to the forest are Lord’s Hill in the Town of Marshfield which is 25 acres of fairly undisturbed forest with some trees that may be older than 400 years, the Lucy Mallory Bugbee Natural Area, which is a wetland with many rare species of flowering plants, and 73 acres along the shoreline of Martin’s Pond in the Town of Peacham. Currently, the total acreage for the Groton State Forest is 26,164 acres.Development information about the seven state parks contained within the forest-–New Discovery, Kettle Pond, Stillwater, Big Deer, Boulder Beach, Ricker Pond, and Seyon Ranch–is included later in this section.L.R. Jones State Forest – L. R. Jones State Forest is a 642-acre parcel located entirely within the town of Plainfield. It was the first state forest in Vermont and was purchased in November 1909. The parcel was originally named Plainfield State Forest. The name was changed to L.R. Jones State Forest in honor of Professor L. R. Jones, a University of Vermont professor of botany. This was done in recognition for his efforts in establishing the State Tree Nursery and creating the position of State Forester. The forest ranges in elevation from 1700 feet, where Potter Brook leaves the parcel, to over 2700 feet on the rugged southwest slope of Spruce Mountain.Levi Jones Wildlife Management Area (WMA) – Located mainly in the Town of Groton, the Levi Pond WMA is 259 acres in size. It came into public ownership in 1971. Existing uses include hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, and snowshoeing.St. Hilaire Wildlife Management Area (WMA) – Located in the Town of Groton, the St. Hilaire WMA is adjacent to the Groton State Forest. It is 100 acres in size and was acquired for public use in 1970. Existing uses include hunting, fishing, trapping, primitive camping, and snowshoeing.Park Development HistoryThe development history of each of the parks found in the Groton State Forest is described below. Within these parks are found the following resources: six campgrounds, three day-use areas, one lodge facility, and the Groton Nature Center. Big Deer State Park – Construction occurred in 1963 and 1964. The primary purpose was to handle overflow camping from Stillwater State Park. Today, it has its own clientele and operates as an individual park. Very few changes have been made to the campground since its initial construction of 28 sites. In 2001, five lean-tos were built by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps on existing tent sites. Boulder Beach State Park – Construction began in 1959, and the park opened in 1961 with a beach house. Construction was completed in early 1962 with additional facilities built in 1965/66, 1971/72, 1985, and 1986. Kettle Pond State Park – During the 1930s, the CCC built five lean-tos and cut and marked trails around Kettle Pond. In 1969 the Kettle Pond Group Camping Area was developed with 27 lean-tos and three pit toilets. Two additional remote lean-tos were built by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps in 2000. New Discovery State Park – During the 1930s a unit of the CCC was located on the road to the Osmore Pond Picnic Area. Company #146 was responsible for building Area B at New Discovery, the Osmore picnic shelter and 19 fireplaces, the Owl’s Head shelter, and the stone fire lookout, as well as the remote lean-tos at Kettle Pond, Osmore Pond and Peacham Pond. Area A campsites were opened in 1964. Ricker Pond State Park – During the 1930s, the CCC only built a picnic area with granite stone fireplaces and tables here and there. A picnic shelter with toilet facilities was built near the pond and a cabin for the caretaker was also built. In 1968, 22 lean-tos were built near the pond and the picnic area was developed for camping. Fourteen sites were built, and later, 19 more sites were added for a total of 33 tent sites. Additional major facility development has occurred in 1983, 1994, and 1996. Seyon Ranch State Park – The state purchased 4, 928 acres in 1967 from Arland Robitzer, who operated a facility on these lands as a private fishing and hunting lodge. Operations at the park have continued in similar fashion until 2002 when the park also became a winter destination for meetings, conferences and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The lodge was moved from its original location in 1991/92 to a new foundation and basement, which was then further renovated and finished in 2000/01. Stillwater State Park – Construction for the park began in 1934, and by 1938 a small caretaker’s house, log picnic shelter with stone fireplaces, toilet building, and four campsites were completed by the CCC. Additional facility development occurred in 1958 with 17 tent sites, 10 lean-tos, and new toilet building; in 1964 when 13 tent sites and 6 lean-tos were added and toilet building replaced; in 1966 the picnic area was converted into a camping area, a new boating area and swim beach added, new toilet building built and a new contact station and entrance; in 1968 a dumping station was added; and in 1974 major sewage improvements occurred. Minor facility changes have also occurred in 1980, 1987, 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Groton Nature Center was built in 1975.
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SUGGESTED HISTORY TOURS
Walking TourThis tour is a moderate 4.7 mile loop with some rocky sections. The walk takes from three to four hours. From the Groton Nature Center, take Coldwater Brook Trail to the junction with Peacham Bog Trail (.4 mile). Look for huge white pine stumps remaining from logging in the late 1800’s. Turn right, continuing up Coldwater Brook Trail to an old Civil War sawmill (site 10, 1.1 mile). This was a water powered sawmill. Veer left and continue to the junction with Osmore Pond-Big Deer Mt.. Trail (l.9 miles). Turn left to the junction with Osmore Pond Hiking Loop (2.3 miles).To extend your hike 2 miles, turn right onto a loop trail around Osmore Pond (site 11). Look for the remains of camps from the 1900’s. Otherwise, continue straight. Pass the south end of the pond and turn left onto Little Deer Mt. Trail (2.4 miles). From the top there are excellent views of Lake Groton and many historic sites.Return to Osmore Pond via the same trail. Turn right onto the Hosmer Brook Trail. End at the road leading to the Nature Center and Boulder Beach (4.7 miles). |
Mountain Bike or Horseback TourThis tour is a 7.5 mile one-way tour along the old railroad bed. It is approximately an hour and a half ride. Caution is advised – watch for potholes, rocks, and other trail users. Mileage given is from the beginning of the tour.Begin at the Ricker Campground entrance at the southern end of the forest on Route 232. Turn right (north) onto 232 for.5 mile then turn right onto a dirt road leading down to private camps. Take the immediate left turn (.6 miles from the Ricker Campground) onto the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad bed (site 1). As you travel along the old railroad line, imagine this area before roads, campgrounds, or other developments. Until the C.C.C. built the forest road, the train was the only transportation.Continue straight to Depot Brook (1.0 mile), and the location of the Lakeside Station (site 2). At 1.5 miles there is a huge boulder pile on your left, the site of the former Rocky Point Flag Stop (site 3). Note the railroad ties over the bank and the steep descent to Lake Groton.At 2.6 miles the railroad bed crosses the paved road leading to Lake Groton. Here Peabody’s Mill and the Tin Pan Flag Stop was located (site 6). Continue straight across the paved road.At 3.6 miles there is a good view of the Owl’s Head cliffs. Joining the main road (4.4 miles), turn right, then right again onto the Owl’s Head Road (5.0 miles). From the parking lot at the end of the road take the short walking trail on the left side to the summit. Note the C.C.C. constructions. At the top of Owl’s Head (site 12) is an excellent view of the Groton area and many of the historic sites.Return to the main road (7.0 miles), cross it to a dirt road leading to a four-way intersection (7.5 miles). This is the Lanesboro area (site 7). As some land is still privately owned, please do not trespass.This is the end of the tour. The railroad bed continues to the left (leading back to the main road – a bit rough) and to the right (the road eventually becomes impassable). |
Closing Comment“Like a tree, so has this area grown. A small beginning, with time and care it branched out. The tree is still a seedling with a need to expand and grow to its full potential. This generation is obligated to nourish the seed that was planted so many years before, so that our descendants will know of this natural environmental heritage. They have the right, just as we did.”Ray McIntyre, 1977 |