Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A walk in Estabrook Woods with J Walter Brain (part 1)

Via Norman Muller, I met Walter Brain for a walk starting at the north end of Estabrook Woods and the plan was to go look at a previously un-reported stone "chamber". Walter is a town planner by profession but is well known locally as a Thoreau scholar, historian, botanist, and local conservationist. Since we were going in via Kibbe's cellar hole, I asked if we could take a slight digression because I wanted to ask about the numerous rock piles that dot that area.
It is a magical time to be in the woods, with the yellow green of the first leaves letting in plenty of light. Here is a picture of J Walter Brain.He had not noticed the rock piles [correction, he had], and we talked about why they might be all over the place at the Kibbe place. Kibbe was an unusual character and I asked whether perhaps Kibbe was an Indian?These are some pretty good-sized piles.At first Walter was expressing the thought that these were probably simple bi-products of stone disposal but, by the time we got to this last one, it was pretty clear these piles are placed not dumped. There is rock size selection, construction, and structure indicating a deliberate purpose.

We saw maybe four examples of split filled rocks. The first couple were observed without much comment.When we got to this one, Walter agreed this was obviously not practical:[Note the white, black, white, color sequence of the wedges.]

But we were not here to see rock piles, so we continued northeast of the cellar hole into an area that, according to Walter, belonged to the Green family. To see the Isaiah Green spring and the "chamber". First, one more rock pile we saw on the way, a new one for me:
(closer)
[Quite a pile.]
....to be continued.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

What a cliff hanger.LOL
Can't wait for part 2

Concord Carpenter said...

Great blog!!! I'll be back.

Norman said...

Wonderful report! Wish I could have been there.

pwax said...

Later (Nov 2012): I see that last example as a standard rectangular mound with a hollow - what I call a "Wachusett Tradition". That makes this Kibbe location a 3rd place where these occur in Estabrook woods.