In My Footsteps: Where the Pilgrims Walked

Check out my video showcasing where the Pilgrims visited on Cape Cod on their journey from England to America in 1620.




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: Cape Cod - Aptucxet Trading Post & Gray Gables

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, and stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter and YouTube for more on In My Footsteps.

Bourne on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 115: Attleboro, Massachusetts

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 115:  Attleboro, Massachusetts

February 24, 2011

            Once known as the ‘Jewelry Capital of the World’ because of its many jewelry manufacturers the city of Attleboro is filled with amazing places to see.  Much like Foxborough the town’s name has been seen written two different ways.  It was incorporated as a separate town from Rehoboth in 1694 and was spelled as ‘Attleborough.’  It was reincorporated as ‘Attleboro’ in 1914 and ironically the town of North Attleborough kept the original spelling which I found a bit odd but it does keep the towns separate.

Falls Fire Barn Museum

            I began my trip in North Attleborough by checking out the Falls Fire Barn Museum.  Built in 1893 the building on Commonwealth Avenue was a fully operational fire station until 1976.  The pastel blue building is now a fire museum as well as town museum in general.

            Anybody that visits Attleboro quickly hears of the name ‘Capron.’  The Capron family is credited by some as being the first settlers of Attleboro.  Banfield Capron, listed as the Capron in the colonies is seen as the patriarch of the family that settled Attleboro; he arrived in 1674.  John Capron, born in 1797, seems to be the most well known member of the family.  He was a state legislator, military officer, and along with his two sons he established one of the first textile mills in the nearby town of Uxbridge.

Capron House c.1740

            The Capron House on North Street, built in 1740, was originally lived in by Banfield Capron’s son Joseph.  The red and yellow house though is only the tip of the iceberg of where the Capron name is seen throughout Attleboro.  Dennis Capron owned more than 100 acres of land that he farmed during the mid-19^th century, part of this land would go on to become a big part of modern day Attleboro.

Heirs of Dennis Capron, descended from Joseph, donated the land for Capron Park in 1901.  In the 1920’s a fund drive was started to create a children’s zoo on the park lands.  Capron Park Zoo opened in 1937.  Of the thirty-three acres donated for the park eight of them were set aside to create the small zoo.

Entrance to Capron Park Zoo

In an ironic twist I spent a lot of time walking around the park grounds, so much in fact that when it came time to go inside the main zoo building it was closed.  Although I do regret not getting to go inside the zoo itself I did enjoy my walk around the park grounds.  There are many different statues and pieces of art that are hard to pass by.  I think a sunny, warmer day might have been better for the photos themselves but even on a cold, raw day I still found a lot to see.  I enjoyed the statues commemorating the Civil War as well as the pretty marble patterned one that featured the Spanish-American War.  The only bright side to missing out on going inside the zoo is that it gives me a reason to head back to Attleboro when I get the chance.

Angle Tree Stone

Saving the best for last is a unique spot back in North Attleborough.  If you don’t keep your eyes open you will miss it as I did a couple of times.  Set back a quarter mile from the road is the Angle Tree Stone.  In a nutshell it is the border marker between North Attleborough and Plainville.  Built in 1790 the term ‘Angle Tree’ comes from the fact that an actual tree once designated the border between the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies and was replaced by the slate pillar.  The ‘angle’ word is because the county border turns at an angle when it reaches the stone.

It is a cool walk back to where the stone resides.  In 1985 it was put inside a brick building with plexi-glass windows to save it from weather and vandalism.  The glass is a bit clouded which made clear photos a tough chore.  Also any straight on shot featured my own reflection so all of my good shots came from an angle, ironically.  Despite those problems the stone itself is an impressive sight knowing it is more than 200 years old.  I do wish I could have laid my hands on it, but what are you going to do?

The Capron name is well known in Attleboro to this day with the famous zoo but there is much more to see in this city.  After checking the zoo out take some time to visit the Falls Fire Barn Museum and Angle Tree Stone in North Attleborough as well.  The stone is a perfect end to a trip to the Attleboro towns.  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:  Capron Park Zoo:  From I-495 take exit 10 for Rt. 123.  Follow Rt. 123 7.3 miles, turn right onto Emory St., continue onto County St., zoo will be on the right. 

            Angle Tree Stone:  From I-495 take exit 14B for Rt. 1, follow 4 miles turn right onto Fisher St.  Turn left onto N. Washington St., take 2^nd right onto High Street, follow 1.5 miles, dirt road for stone is on right, keep your eyes open. 

References:  The Sun Chronicle - Capron Family Article 4/12/11

            Capron Park Zoo.com

            North Attleborough, Ma. History - Angle Tree Stone

In My Footsteps: Trip 72: Weymouth, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 72:  Weymouth, Mass.

August 26, 2010

            Sitting at the top of the South Shore and sporting a spectacular view of Boston, the city of Weymouth is a great destination all its own.  Whether you like the natural beauty or historic significance there is something for everyone here.  Named for a coastal town in England, the connection to the sea is apparent as soon as you enter Weymouth.  There are stretches of amazing beaches on the north side facing Boston to the northwest and Hull to the northeast.

Webb Memorial State Park

            Ironically Weymouth was one of the first settlements in the New World by the English in 1622.  The original colony called Wessagusset failed within a year and the original inhabitants were forced out by the Massachusett tribe of Native Americans.  They fled to Maine where they were taken back to England by fishermen who came every summer.  It would not be until 1630 that another colony was attempted, this one succeeded.

View of Boston from Great Hill Park

            There are two tremendous parks where the views of the surrounding area will take your breath away.  The first is Webb Memorial State Park located on River Street at the northern most tip of Weymouth.  There is a nice green strip of land that juts out into Hingham Bay and is perfect for walking.  I found another area though that piqued my interest a little more.  There is a small hill called ‘Mary’s Point’ which gives a great view.  The path leading up to the top, maybe thirty to forty feet high, winds around until you reach a set of benches at the ‘summit.’  The views of Hingham and Hough’s Neck in Quincy are well worth the short walk.

            The other park in Weymouth with an amazing view is Great Hill Park which is only a mile or so away from Webb Memorial Park.  There are two entrances, Bradley Road which is a nice easy ride, and there is Baylee Drive, a rough ride with chunked pavement.  This of course was the route I chose.  Despite the fact that I drove up the wrong road the view of the Boston skyline was perhaps the best I have ever seen.  I enjoyed just standing at the top of the green hill and staring off toward the bustling city, I might have stayed all day if not for the fact that I had many other sites to see.

Abigail Adams Birthplace

            Unknown to me before arriving in Weymouth was the fact that it was the birthplace of Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams.  The house where she was born in 1744 still stands on Norton Street.  There was not a place to park in front of the house so I ended up parking in a cemetery located just behind the house and walking through it to get to the house.  On the premises there is also a marker showing where a time capsule was buried in 1976 to be opened in 2076.  I doubt that I will be there to see it, but I’d be interested in knowing what is in it.  Only a short walk away from the Abigail Adams House is the small but very pretty Abigail Adams Village Green.  There is also a state park bearing her name along Bridge Street.

            The next spot I visited today is nothing more than some trees and scrub brush, it was what used to be there that was why I stopped at the intersection of Middle Street and Washington Street.  Here where only trees and brush stand was the site of the original Weymouth Town Hall.  It was built in 1852 but burned to the ground in 1914.  There were no remnants of the old building, or anything that would give you a clue as to what stood there but for the sign post nearby.  It was also near the spot of the old Town Hall where the last major Indian attack during King Philip’s War took place.  This attack, on April 19, 1676, was as close as King Philip’s forces got to the city of Boston.  It made me wonder after seeing these historic markers how many people that drive through that intersection everyday have no idea how important it is.

Weymouth Great Pond

            The final spot I visited was the Weymouth Great Pond on Randolph Street.  Located in the southern part of Weymouth this pond serves as the main source of drinking water for the town.  Randolph Street which runs close by the pond used to be called the ‘Bay Trail’ and was one of the most important in the region long ago.  The pond is easy to reach from trails along the road.  I found an amazing spot on the north side of the pond which was filled with large rocks.  The pond was calm and that combined with the rocks in the water gave this area the feel and look of someplace in Northern Canada rather than Massachusetts.

            Amazing views and awesome historic sites, this is only a small part of what the town of Weymouth has to offer.  The view of Boston from Great Hill was simply spectacular, it was not what I expected and that made it even more special.  The connection throughout the town to Abigail Adams is a reminder of just how much history has occurred in this region.  There is even history on what looks like just another street corner like Washington and Middle where the old Town Hall once stood.  There is so much to see in Weymouth, something for everyone.  Have fun and happy traveling!

   My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, in stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter!
 

Directions:  Webb Memorial State Park:  From Rt. 3A heading north take a right at Neck St.  Turn right at River St. which becomes Back River St.  Follow it to the park.

            Great Hill Park:  From Rt. 3A heading north take a right at Lovell St.  Follow Lovell St. which becomes Bradley Rd., this leads you up to the top of Great Hill. 

            Abigail Adams House:  From Rt. 3A heading north turn left at North Street.  Follow it for about a mile, turn right at intersection with Norton St.  The house in on the right immediately after.  Parking is tough and it may be better to park in cemetery behind the house.

References:  Town of Weymouth - History

            Weymouth, Ma. - Official Town Site

            Webb Memorial State Park - Mass DCR