Initial Impressions 2.0 #13 - Photo Day Trip 2

#13 – Photo Day Trip 2

1. I can’t remember the last time I woke up at 5am to head out on a day off for a photography trip. It’s been probably 7 years. What was originally a ‘quick’ trip with my buddy Steve to The Gurnet (a private beachfront community in Plymouth, MA) ended up stretched out late into the afternoon. It was well worth the early wake-up.

2. The reason for the early start was a stop shooting a famous tree in Duxbury known simply as the ‘gumdrop tree.’ This is due to its nearly perfect gumdrop shape. My buddy Steve and I pulled off the road and snapped a ton of amazing photos.

Duxbury's gumdrop tree

3. Two things to take from this gumdrop tree stop: 1. Egrets don’t care if you want them to help you make a photo better, they will do the opposite just to be jerks. 2. There may or may not have been a drunk cyclist riding by. He was one of three who rode by but made it a point to shout out asking what we were shooting. If he wasn’t a little sloshed he sure sounded it.

4. After being a passenger on the drive around the sandy roads of The Gurnet and Saquish in Plymouth I can say I’d never want to drive those myself. So tight and winding, you need perfect skills to navigate them. Guess that’s why the speed limits marked around there are 5mph.

5. Gurnet (Plymouth) Lighthouse is a fun place to photograph. On this trip, they were doing an excavation of a lot of soil for testing for lead since there’s also a centuries-old fort on the grounds. I briefly thought about not crossing the plastic orange fencing to get some shots, briefly. C’mon, what else would you expect from me?

Sorry, I didn't even see the excavating going on.

6. The Gurnet definitely has a cool vibe to it, no wonder why many of the people out there have passed down the old homes to family. Also, no wonder why some rich jerks want to steal some of that vibe for themselves by building houses that don’t fit in out there.

7. If you’re on the Massachusetts South Shore, grab a freshly made bagel with one of the varieties of cream cheese at Gunther Tooties. Several locations. I got a french toast bagel, toasted, with honey cream cheese. Highly recommended. Just enough of a sugar rush to get me through the arduous task of photography.

8. I finally got the famed Draco the Dragon on camera. It is a metal dragon sculpture that guards a house on Rt. 3A in Duxbury. It was featured on WCVB’s show Chronicle. How did I capture it? A slow-motion video on my phone as we drove by and then grabbed a screenshot when I paused the video. Pretty crafty.

9. Damon’s Point in Marshfield is a great spot to shoot not only a decaying old building that used to reside along railroad tracks that are no longer there but also a nest of bald eagles somewhere along the shore of the North River. There were no eagle sightings but there was a cute dog catching tennis balls in the nearby water. Every time it dove into the water I whipped my head around thinking it might be an eagle diving for fish. No such luck. There were plenty of seagulls since I never see those.

What are you looking at?

10. There are four huge coastal defense/fire watch towers along the Massachusetts South Shore. These are all concrete and look pretty cool. No clue if they are ever open for people to climb but they are all in Marshfield including the village of Brant Rock. Interesting for history lovers.

11. Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse sits 1¼ miles off the coast of Cohasset and Scituate at its closest. However, that is a private community with no access for common folks like us. So our best hope for photos of the lighthouse is Sandy Beach in Cohasset. This is 2¼ miles from the lighthouse. Luckily it stands 89 feet tall so it can be seen like a gray cigar. There is a large rock outcropping that can get you a slightly better photo than standing on the beach. Only now when traversing those rocks do I realize how dangerous it is and really doesn’t make the photo any better. I guess I’m older and wiser, or at least older.

12. Fort Revere in Hull is a haven for visitors but more specifically photographers. I believe that nearly every time I have gone there I see at least one other person with a real DSLR camera. The crumbling fort covered in graffiti makes for some amazing shots.

13. Fort Revere also gives a great vantage point of nearby Boston Light which is the oldest in the country. Surprisingly this was a rare time that a giant cargo freighter wasn’t passing by the lighthouse. It seems to always be the case since it’s a busy shipping lane, but alas not this time.

14. It can be like playing with fire when I go on a long drive as a passenger due to severe motion sickness. However, I must say that the Dramamine made with ginger root did a good job. I was out for roughly 9 hours as a passenger and felt strong when I got back into my own car. Recommended for anyone who suffers like I do.

15. In an interesting bit of psychology we visited Old Scituate Lighthouse. It’s being renovated and is surrounded by scaffolding. Steve mentioned that with the scaffolding the lighthouse somehow looked shorter than usual. Once he said that it looked shorter to me as well. The mind does play tricks on you.

16. I did manage to create a couple of time-lapse photos while at Fort Revere. I reenacted a pair of selfie poses inside one of the creepy corridors. One from 2017 and one from 2010. They came out good and were fun full circle type moments. Plus I’m glad that I didn’t look like I had aged terribly in the new photos compared to the old.

Fort Revere: 2017 on the left, 2024 on the right.

17. Overall it was a fun trip, not quite 200 miles driven. It definitely turned out to be much more than a quick trip to The Gurnet.

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Initial Impressions 2.0 #10: Photo Trip Day

#10: Photo Trip Day

1. For the first time since restarting this blog I actually took my camera and hopped into my car for a fun day of travel and photography. The plan was to get off of Cape Cod and head up the South Shore of Massachusetts. My best guess was that I drove a total of about 130 miles, not as crazy as my old travel writing trips, which tended to be 200+ miles, but still good nonetheless.

2. I actually began the trip by getting gas at a new Seasons/Shell store near where I live. The funny thing is that now with this gas station where it is, there are 4 gas stations on the same road within about 1/3 of a mile. That would seem a bit much even for a larger town/city but is major overkill for the relatively small town where I live. 

UPDATE: 1 of them has already closed in the time that I first wrote this so ONLY 3 gas stations within 1/3 of a mile.

3. Scusset Beach State Reservation is at the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal on the mainland side. It’s one part popular and one part out of the way. There’s camping, some hiking, and naturally a large swath of beach. It even is the starting point of the canal’s bike path so it comes highly recommended.

Scusset Beach

4. If you’re driving along the Massachusetts South Shore and aren’t in a hurry to get anywhere I would suggest taking Route 3A. It hugs the coast and keeps you close to many beautiful areas and attractions. I am always a fan of scenic routes anyway. I will admit though that there are parts of this road where there is absolutely nothing and I find myself tempted to jump on the highway for a bit.

5. I took the scenic route from Sagamore Beach north about 35 miles to Marshfield. I had one place in mind to shoot. It is what I can only describe as an abandoned lobster shack, only a bit larger, on this small rocky island in the middle of the North River. It’s near what’s called Damon’s Point and lies along what used to be a railroad thruway. Of course a picture’s worth 1,000 words.

The shack at Damon's Point in Marshfield

6. I often say I am more lucky than good when it comes to photography. This was proven again when as soon as I arrived at Damon’s Point a bald eagle from a nearby nest began to fly overhead. The photos are nothing earth-shattering, but still getting photos of bald eagles are tough regardless. I have gone to areas near me that are home to eagle’s nests and have never seen one, but totally by coincidence here I find them when looking for something else.

7. There is this really cool metal-sculpted dragon along Route 3A in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Apparently, the family that created it named it Draco. I have passed it a few dozen times and nearly every time I tell myself this is the time I will stop and take photos. Of course that has yet to happen. I’ll have to settle for this profile video from WCVB for now. https://www.wcvb.com/article/chronicleroute-3a-hes-duxburys-home-grown-dragon/8103426

8. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the town of Plymouth. I feel a deep connection there anytime I visit. Maybe it’s my love of the history but it feels like a second home to me. I typically enjoy visiting the National Monument to the Forefathers. This is lesser known and resides in what is basically a residential neighborhood. The granite monument stands 81 feet tall and is topped by the depiction of Faith pointing toward the sky. If you’ve never seen it check it out for sure.

National Monument to the Forefathers

9. I made this photo trip a dedication to the 1980s. This means you get outside and don’t come home until the streetlights come on. I took my time driving from Marshfield back toward Cape Cod. Luckily the sunset was worth stopping for next to the Sagamore Bridge along the canal. I feel happy with a sense of accomplishment after these types of long photo trip days. I just wish I could turn these passions into something more.

Sunset at the Sagamore Bridge

10. Photo trips like this have become increasingly rare, especially after COVID-19. I feel like I almost got used to being stuck in one small area for so long. I don’t know if anyone else can relate. I hope that over the upcoming months, I will regain that drive to do more trips since I love travel, photography, and then sharing what I’ve seen with as many people as possible.

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In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 94: Visiting Plymouth for Thanksgiving, Michael Jackson's Thriller at 40, A Forgotten Cape Cod Nightlife Icon, Weird Old Thanksgiving Foods(11-17-2022)

 

In My Footsteps: 4K New England - Gurnet Point, Massachusetts

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pilgrim Landing 400th Anniversary

    It’s Thanksgiving time again. That means turkey, football, and family for most. However all of these blessed events and traditions would not be possible if not for a group of English settlers known as the Pilgrims. 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower on this continent.

    The collection of 102 passengers aboard the famed ship is most commonly connected with their landing in the future Plymouth Colony; however they have a large connection to Cape Cod. It is on the Cape where the Pilgrims first walked and explored.

    First off a little bit of the journey of the Mayflower. It was the initial intention of the Pilgrims to land somewhere in present-day Northern Virginia. The ship was to be accompanied to the New World by a vessel named Speedwell. This ship was cursed it seemed as even on its way to meet the Mayflower in Southampton in July 1620 it began leaking. In fact the pair of vessels departed twice from England only to have to return to port when the Speedwell began leaking. Finally on September 6th the Mayflower left Plymouth, England to cross the Atlantic Ocean. 66 days later the Mayflower found land and docked. However it was not Northern Virginia, it was Cape Cod, more than 400 miles north. These locations that follow are spots where the Pilgrims explored on the Cape and can still be explored today.

1. Pilgrims’ First Landing Park, Commercial St., Provincetown - On November 11, 1620 the Mayflower circled around the tip of Provincetown and docked in Provincetown Harbor. The first steps on shore by the Pilgrims are commemorated here at the rotary at the west end of Commercial Street. There is a plaque which celebrates this moment of not just American but World History as well. The location was discovered via a map in the 1622 book Mourt's Relation written by Edward Winslow and William Bradford. It was a firsthand account of the landing and thus the map is seen to be accurate.

First Landing Park

2. Pilgrim Monument, High Pole Hill Rd., Provincetown – This granite tower was erected in 1910 overlooking the harbor. It is 252-feet tall and stands 350-feet above sea level. The view from the top is simply incredible. The first stone of the tower was laid by then President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 and is a very fitting tribute to the colonists. Although not directly tied to the Pilgrims landing it is still an impressive attraction and one of the best known locations on Cape Cod.

3. Pilgrim Spring Trail, Pilgrim Heights Rd., Truro - This trail leads through the woods out to a breathtaking scenic overlook of the dunes and ocean from a raised vantage point. From the overlook it is a quick walk to a plaque telling the tale of the Pilgrims’ first drink of fresh water in the new land. On November 16, 1620 an exploring party came upon a spring from which they drank. There is a small pool there to this day but it is not certain if this is the very same one since it was 400 years ago.

4. Pilgrim Pond, Pond Rd., Truro - It was here that a group of sixteen Pilgrims, led by Myles Standish and William Bradford, spent their second night on the shores of Cape Cod. It is an unassuming piece of history with a small park complete with a couple of benches along the water. The best view of the pond is a short walk from the park but overall it is difficult to see much of the water. However it is still a marvelous chapter of the Pilgrims’ story on the Cape.

Pilgrim Pond 

5. Corn Hill/Corn Hill Beach, Corn Hill Rd., Truro - It was near the beach on November 16, 1620 that the same group of sixteen Pilgrims purportedly came upon a Wampanoag stash of corn and fresh water which they took and used to sustain their people. The physical Corn Hill stands upwards of one hundred feet above the beach. The views are somewhat limited due to the homes which dot the area atop the hill. It is possible to drive the road and gaze down at Little Pamet River to the south to get a taste of the amazing panoramic scenery.

6. First Encounter Beach, Samoset Rd., Eastham - The ‘first encounter’ the name speaks of is one between the group of sixteen Pilgrims, led by Myles Standish and William Bradford, and the Nauset Tribe of the Wampanoags. On December 8, 1620 the two groups met along the beach here. Earlier European explorers had visited and even captured members of the Nauset Tribe leaving them with rightful bad memories of white travelers. Thusly the ‘first encounter’ consisted of arrows being slung from the Nauset Tribe and musket fire being directed by the Pilgrims. In the end both sides retreated.

The plaque at First Encounter Beach

As a result of this encounter the Pilgrims decided to look elsewhere for a settlement fearing more hostile interactions with local natives. Within days the Mayflower set sail across Cape Cod Bay and landed at Plymouth on December 16, 1620 where the new settlement began. Cape Cod would not see another attempted settlement until 1628 when Plymouth Colony established the Aptucxet Trading Post in present-day Bourne. It was created to allow settlers to trade with local natives and traveling Dutch sailors. That was a trading post and not a village though. In 1637 the town of Sandwich was formed and gave the Cape its first true settlement.

In five weeks on Cape Cod the Pilgrims explored much of the bay side coast from Provincetown down through Eastham. Their footprints are all over the land and their influence is as well. Take a few moments this Thanksgiving season to walk where they walked and feel the history and their importance all around you.

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View my previous blog posts: 

In Their Footsteps: New England History - Mercy Brown and the New England Vampire Panic

In My Footsteps: The Time Period I Wish I Could Visit

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: 4K New England - Myles Standish Monument & Burying Grou...

In My Footsteps: 4K New England - Plymouth Waterfront

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Deacon John Doane

     In 1644 seven men and their families left Plymouth for Cape Cod. They arrived in an area known as Nauset for the tribe of Native Americans that lived there. The town they founded was called Eastham and at the time included present-day Orleans and Wellfleet. The men who became the town’s founders included: Thomas Prence, Nicholas Snow, Edward Bangs, Richard Higgins, Josiah Cook, and John Smalley. The final founder was Deacon John Doane, my 9th-great grandfather, and this his story and legacy on Cape Cod and in America.

     The man who would be Deacon has beginnings shrouded in mystery and obscured by time. The Doane Family Association of America has been working for decades to discover John Doane’s English roots. The story of his beginnings with the highest probability is as follows.

     John Doane (spelled Done by the man himself) was possibly born in the small village of Alvechurch in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, England, on May 28, 1592. He was the son of Nicholas Done, and cousin to another John Done, this one a ‘whitebaker’ (baker of bread) from London.

Alvechurch, Worcestershire, England where John Doane was likely born.
(Lee J. Andrews/Creative Commons)

     The young John Doane likely found work as a cordwainer, a shoemaker that crafted footwear out of new leather. He likely moved to London in the time leading up to his departure for America.

     In 1628 a Bill of Complaint was brought against John Doane and others by Agnes Done, the widow of his cousin John the whitebaker, in the Court of Chancery. The complaint claimed that those named were trying to defraud Agnes Done out of her inheritance from her husband’s will.

     John Doane appeared in court on April 30, 1630 requesting that the estate of his cousin John the whitebaker be awarded to him. He was granted his request on May 6^th after Agnes was excommunicated for failure to respond to a summons to attend the court.

     On August 10, 1630 the ship ‘Handmaid’ set sail for America likely with John Doane, his wife Ann, and eldest daughter Lydia aboard. This was the last of the Pilgrim ships to leave for America during the time of the Puritan Great Migration from 1620-1640. The ship arrived in Plymouth in October after 12 weeks at sea.

     Upon his arrival in the new world it was apparent that John Doane was seen as an important man. He was one of the few who bore the title of ‘Mr.’ which was a rarity the Pilgrims did not bestow upon those deemed unworthy. In Plymouth the General Court, comprised of all the freemen in the colony, was in charge of the laws and government. The men of highest rank were elected to the Council of Assistants to the Governor. The first records of the General Court appear from 1633. Governor was Edward Winslow and the Council was made up of seven men: Capt. Myles Standish, William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, William Gilson, John Alden, John Howland, and John Doane. Doane was also made a Deacon of the Plymouth church in 1634. As he preferred that role to the role of government council his change in title began the Plymouth policy of separating Church and State.

     During his early years in Plymouth John Doane and Ann had four more children: Abigail, John, Daniel, and Ephraim. As the 1630’s ended there was a weariness by some families of life in Plymouth. A few families even wished to move the entirety of the church to Cape Cod, specifically the Nauset area where the Pilgrims had originally landed in 1620.  

     A scouting mission was held to find out about the potential sustainability of a colony at Nauset. It was determined that it would not be possible for a large population to move there. In the end seven families, mentioned earlier, chose to leave Plymouth for the relative unknown of a new, smaller settlement. Deacon John Doane, who had only recently built a house on present-day Wapping Road in Kingston, was among those who departed Plymouth in the spring of 1644. The highly influential Doane was more than 50 years old when he left Plymouth.

John Doane's house on Wapping Rd., Kingston c.1644
(Public Domain)

     Nearly 50 settlers, more than 30 of them children, sailed across Cape Cod Bay. They purchased a large tract of land from the Native Americans upon which to begin. The small number of adults at first made it wise to begin the settlement as one large unit. Deacon John Doane and his family lived in a small home on 200-acres of farmland around Salt Pond extending to present-day Pinecrest Drive in Eastham. The home was located a few hundred feet east of what is known today as Doane Rock.

The site of the Doane Family homestead in Eastham.
(Christopher Setterlund)

     Nauset was incorporated as a town in 1646. It officially became known as Eastham in 1651. The following year land in the town was made available to individuals after being one large lot for eight years. During the formative years of Eastham Doane’s duties were similar to those he held in Plymouth. He was Deacon of the Church, Deputy to the Court, as well as Selectman. Doane was also part of committees which lay out land boundaries and settled land disputes.

     In the mid-1660’s Deacon John Doane seemingly retired from town-related duties as he was by then in his mid-70’s. The Deacon’s children had all grown and began cultivating their own lives. Daughter Lydia married Samuel Hicks in 1645 and would end up living in Dartmouth by the 1660’s. Son John married Hannah Bangs and remained close to his father. Daniel married and moved south of Town Cove, succeeding his father as Deacon of the Eastham Church. Ephraim married Mercy Knowles and moved north to what would become Wellfleet. Daughter Abigail remained with her parents, likely becoming caretaker of her elderly father after her mother’s death.

     Deacon John Doane crafted his will in May 1678 among other things he deeded his home and the surrounding 12 acres to daughter Abigail. He died February 21, 1685 just shy of his 93^rd birthday. A few years after his passing Abigail married Samuel Lothrop and moved to Norwich, Connecticut. John Doane was laid to rest in the Cove Burying Ground in Eastham. His exact resting place is unknown though so in 1907 his descendants placed a six-ton boulder adorned with a commemorative plaque close by to the grave of his son Daniel.

The boulder at Cove Burying Ground in Eastham
(Christopher Setterlund)

     The legacy of Deacon John Doane is immense in terms of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and New England history. His fingerprints were all over the early years of Plymouth and more so the early years of Eastham. The homestead where he first lived on Cape Cod is marked with signs and monuments. Many Cape Codders with long ties to the peninsula can trace their history back to Deacon John Doane one of early Cape Cod’s most influential people.

References:

Doane Family Association.org

Deacon John Done's English Ancestry - Doane Family Association.org

Doane Family History, 1902, Alfred A. Doane

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View my previous blog posts: Historic Nightlife of Cape Cod: Rainbow Ballroom and Rollerdome

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Man Behind the Long Point Cross                         

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Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: Myles Standish Monument

Here is a video featuring a monument dedicated to legendary Pilgrim and leader of Plymouth Colony Myles Standish.  This is located high on a wooded hill in Duxbury and is a great spot to visit.  There is also a visit to his grave located nearby which is surrounded by four cannons.




The three books of the In My Footsteps series are available at Amazon.com.


In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide

In My Footsteps: A Traveler's Guide to Martha's Vineyard

In My Footsteps: A Traveler's Guide to Nantucket

In My Footsteps: Trip 85: Thomaston, Maine

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 85:  Thomaston, Maine

October 2, 2010

            The tiny old seaport of Thomaston amazed me with its quaint, peaceful feeling.  However it was the ‘Museum in the Streets,’ an absolutely brilliant idea, that made this trip stand out for me.  The ‘Museum’ consists of thirty panels strategically located in front of, or across the street from, important and historical sites in the town.  These panels made the entire town appear to me to be more of a scavenger hunt; it was such a fun experience.  

Replica of Gen. Knox's Montpelier.

            Located in the area around the St. George River, the land on which Thomaston stands was originally a trading post established in 1630.  The most famous name associated with Thomaston is that of General Henry Knox.  Knox was a Revolutionary War hero who played a pivotal role in the ‘Siege of Boston’ in 1775-76 by bringing captured cannons to Boston from Fort Ticonderoga along the shore of Lake Champlain.  He brought them by sled a distance of over 200 miles.

            Knox became a close friend of George Washington when he was a General and Washington made him the United States’ first Secretary of War once he was named the first President.  There are two separate forts named for him, one near Louisville, Kentucky and another located in Prospect, Maine.

The only remaining building from the original Montpelier estate.

Knox retired to Thomaston in 1795 to his estate called Montpelier.  That original mansion was torn down in 1871 after it had decayed and Knox’s oldest grandson had no desire to repair it.  The only building remaining from the original Montpelier estate is a small brick building which was used as the train station for the Knox and Lincoln Railroad.  That building currently houses the Thomaston Historical Society.

The current Montpelier Museum is a reconstruction located on a hill at the corner of Rt. 1 and Rt. 131.  It is a magnificent building at an equally magnificent location.  There is a parking area off to the right of the white building; I parked in front of it where there is a small turnoff.  The building looked to me a lot like the White House with the golden eagle above the front door.  It had that sort of regal air to it the way it stands above everything else around it.

Watts Hall

The only surviving building from the original Montpelier is one of the stops on the ‘Museum in the Streets.’  In actuality this building, despite being an original piece of history, is not as eye-catching as the replica of Montpelier.  If I had not been specifically looking for it I would not have known that the small brick building, built in 1795, had any sort of significance but for the oval sign on the façade which alerts you to the fact that this is more than just a run of the mill train station.

The ‘Museum in the Streets’ plaques are scattered all over the little town of Thomaston but the main cluster of them can be found along Main Street and Knox Street.  One historic site I checked out was Watts Hall on Main Street.  The building was erected and donated to the people of Thomaston by Captain Samuel Watts in 1890.  The interesting part of the story is the fact that in 1915 there was a tremendous fire in the stable located behind the building which caused the entire block to burn to the ground.  The current Watts Hall was rebuilt by Watts’ daughter Mary Jane in memory of her father.  The building is used for town meetings and the large auditorium on the second floor is used by several theater groups.

St. Baptist Episcopal on left, Thomaston Baptist on right.

Another spot on Main Street with an interesting story is the location of two churches.  The Thomaston Baptist Church and the St. John Baptist Episcopal Church have been good neighbors ever since they were first built in 1816.  The two institutions have come to symbolize the love and respect between all religions in the small town.  In fact when the Baptist church’s steeple burned down in the 1990’s the money to rebuild it was raised by all of the other religious groups in town.  This lesson of love and respect between religions was not lost on me during this time in the world.

The ‘Museum in the Streets’ comes to an end along the banks of the St. George River where there are four plaques arranged around a large wooden cross on a green.  The cross was erected in commemoration of Captain George Waymouth’s landing there on June 12, 1605.  One of the plaques I found most intriguing was the one which featured information about an old wooden toll bridge which once spanned the river to the west.  There is a normal paved bridge there now but the story is that north of where that bridge stands was an original Indian trading post established by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in 1623.

Cross commemorating George Waymouth's landing.

Thomaston was also known as the town which built more ocean-going vessels than any other town in the entire country.  That fact surprised me when taking a drive around this little town.  It is amazing how much history, such as the building of all of those ships, happened in such a small place. 

There are a total of thirty plaques making up the ‘Museum in the Streets,’ many of those facing the place described on the plaque.  It is a fun way to learn about the history of a great little town, I never imagined during my trip to Maine that I’d been taking part in a sort of scavenger hunt, it was a lot of fun.  I highly recommend any visitor to the area take in the replica of General Knox’s Montpelier estate, breathe the salty air of the St. George River, and take some time to find all thirty of the plaques of the ‘Museum in the Streets.’  Have fun and happy traveling!

For more In My Footsteps items follow my Twitter Feed, view more photos at the In My Footsteps fan page on Facebook, or visit my homepage at ChristopherSetterlund.com.   Thanks for reading!

Directions:  Montpelier Museum:  Take Rt. 1 into Thomaston, turn onto Rt. 131/High St.  Museum is on the left, parking is on left just beyond it.

            St. George River:  Take Rt. 1 into Thomaston, turn right at Knox Street which is next right after Watts Hall.  Follow it to the end.  There is a parking area which is where the final plaques and wooden cross are located.

            Watts Hall:  Take Rt. 1 into Thomaston.  Watts Hall is 110 Main Street/Rt. 1.  This is where a cluster of Museum plaques are located as well.

References:    Wataview Cottage - Owl's Head, Maine 

The Museum in the Streets - Thomaston

            General Knox Museum.org

                Thomaston Historical Society.com

               

In My Footsteps: Trip 73: Duxbury, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 73:  Duxbury, Mass.

August 26, 2010

            Sitting only ten miles north of the Holy Grail of history, Plymouth, the town of Duxbury surprised me with how much history of its own it has inside its borders.  Plymouth may have the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock, but Duxbury may have just as much of a connection to the original Pilgrims.  It is here that many of those who arrived on the Mayflower were buried, and it is here where perhaps the most famous Pilgrim, Myles Standish, lived as well.

Powder Point Bridge leading to Duxbury Beach

            Yes, there is an overwhelming amount of historical significance throughout Duxbury there are also many other places to see as well.  The major attraction in this amazing South Shore town has to be Duxbury Beach.  It is made even more magnificent by the fact that it is accessible only by a drive across the narrow, wooden Powder Point Bridge.  The beach is very narrow at most points due to its exposure to any and all rough seas.  The Powder Point Bridge is popular for fishing and when I passed over it to go to the beach I had to make sure to go slowly. 

John Alden House

Gurnet Light

            As you travel south along the dirt road of Duxbury Beach you reach a point where it turns into the private Gurnet.  A twenty-seven acre peninsula The Gurnet is only accessible if you own a house at Gurnet Point, or if you are lucky enough like me to know someone who does.  My friend Steve’s family has a summer home on Gurnet Point and I was able to go out and take in the amazing views across Plymouth Harbor.  There is also Gurnet Light sitting high above the cliffs.  Originally there were twin lighthouses in this spot until one was torn down in 1924.  This lighthouse is difficult to see from the mainland and I was very glad that I got the chance to see it up close.

            My trip into the history Duxbury holds began at a cemetery called the ‘Myles Standish Burying Grounds.’  The oldest maintained cemetery in the United States it is here that many of the famous Pilgrims were laid to rest.  The most obvious name buried here is the one for whom the cemetery is named.  The grave of Myles Standish is unbelievable.  There are four cannons facing outward from the rock wall the surrounds the gravesite.  The ‘headstone’ is a large boulder with the name ‘Standish’ engraved on it.  I do not know how far beneath my feet the legendary Pilgrim was buried but it was an awesome feeling to be so close to someone so important to the beginnings of our country.

The grave of Capt. Myles Standish

            Not to be forgotten are the graves of John and Priscilla Alden which reside along the edge of the cemetery bordering Chestnut Street.  However there is a much better way to get a taste of what life was like for the Alden’s by visiting the John Alden House on Alden Street.  Dated 1653, the house is one of very few in the country from so far back to never have been renovated with such improvements as plumbing and electricity.  There is also the archaeological site of the original 1632 Alden Homestead on the grounds.  Archaeological pioneer Roland Wells Robbins excavated the site in 1960 and found the remains of the foundation of the original Alden house.  The house is now a museum and is open for tours throughout the summer months.     

Captain Myles Standish has a monument dedicated to him which located a short drive from the cemetery that bears his name as well.  On the way to the monument is the home of Standish’s son, Alexander.  Built in 1666 the house was occupied by Alexander and his wife Sarah Alden who was the daughter of John and Priscilla until 1688 when Sarah died.  Alexander then married Desire Doty.  Unfortunately the house is on private property and try as I might I was not even able to find a good vantage point for a shot of it.  I will have to take the Duxbury Historical Society’s word for it that it is there.

Myles Standish Monument

The Myles Standish Monument is located on Crescent Street atop the 200 foot Captain’s Hill, the 116-foot granite shaft is topped by a fourteen foot statue of Standish.  Myles Standish was hired to be a military adviser for Plymouth Colony and served as Plymouth’s representative to England.  He also helped found Duxbury and named it after Duxbury Woods in Chorley, Lancashire, England.  During the summer, mostly June and July, the monument is easy to get to, you can drive up the hill and park at the base of it.  However, on both of my trips up to the monument the gate was locked and I had to walk up the hill.  It is not a long walk and it should not dissuade any visitor from seeing this amazing tribute to an American legend.

            The monument itself can be seen from miles around as it rises high above the trees.  During the summer months there are opportunities to climb it, although it is wise to have a group to go and to call ahead.  For those who do get to climb they are rewarded with an amazing view of Kingston Bay as well as Duxbury Bay and Clarks Island.  The forest surrounding the monument is beautiful and the sweet pine scent filled the air.  I made sure to take my time and enjoy the site of this towering granite structure. 

            Although it may tend to be overshadowed by Plymouth to the south Duxbury can hold its own as far as history goes with any other town in the state.  After taking some time to relax at Duxbury Beach make sure to enjoy some of this history by visiting the Myles Standish Burying Ground and Monument.  Don’t forget the 350-year old John Alden House as well.  Have fun and happy traveling!

     My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available through Schiffer Books!

Directions:  Myles Standish Monument: From Rt. 3 take Exit 10, turn right at Rt. 3A.  Turn right at Chestnut St., right at Standish St.  Take slight right onto Crescent Street.  Parking area for monument is on a hill on the right, if gate is closed road must be hiked to the top. 

John Alden House:  From Rt. 3A heading north turn right at Alden Street.  Follow it .3 miles to house located on right.

Duxbury Beach:  From Rt. 3A heading north turn right at Alden Street.  Turn right at St. George St., turn left at the end and bear right onto Powder Point Avenue.  Follow it across the Powder Point Bridge to the beach. 

References:  Duxbury History.org

            John Alden House

            Duxbury, Ma. - Official Town Site

            Myles Standish Monument State Reservation - DCR