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Where Ancient & Modern Paths Meet
For over 117 years, Hopkinton has been famous for hosting the start of the Boston Marathon. The 26 mile trek to Boston starts on and parallels the route of the Old Connecticut Path and Bay Path over which pioneers first traveled to Connecticut in the 1630s. The indomitable spirit and determination that sustained those Connecticut pioneers in their journey lives on in those who come to Hopkinton each Patriot's Day for the Boston Marathon.
Hopkinton's Connecticut Connections
The Old Connecticut Path and Bay Path crosses Hopkinton, called Quansigamog by the local Indians, from Megunko in Ashland to Faye Mountain in Westborough. While pioneers from Cambridge, Watertown and Dorchester traveled along the Path across to establish Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor in Connecticut, Hopkinton has another connection with Connecticut. Edward Hopkins never traveled the Old Connecticut Path, but he is listed as one of the founders of Hartford. Hopkins arrived in New Haven to establish a settlement at the mouth of the Quinnipiac River and the founding of the New Haven Colony. From there, he went north to Hartford where he became Governor of Connecticut in 1640 and served a total of seven terms (1 year each) as Governor between 1640-1656. Hopkins returned to England in 1655 to be appointed by Oliver Cromwell to serve as commissioner of the Royal Navy. Hopkins died in 1657 while still in England.Edward Hopkins was a very wealthy man with holdings in England and America. His will provided for his wealth to be held in trust during his wife's lifetime and then used to support education in America. Money from Hopkins' estate funded the creation of Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut, and the Hopkins Classical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The English settlement of Hopkinton, owes its beginnings to a bequest of 500 pounds made to Harvard College by the estate of Governor Hopkins. College trustees invested the money by purchasing the Indian territory and naming it for its donor - "Hopkinstown", or "Hopkinton", and leased the land to tenants for one penny an acre. Years later, with the help of the Legislature, a sum of $10,000 was paid to the Corporation of Harvard College, and the Town was incorporated December 13, 1715.
Megunko to Hopkinton
There is agreement that the Old Connecticut Path followed Frankland Road from Ashland into Hopkinton. Frankland Road is a quiet back road today that offers a chance to get off the highway and travel at a slower pace. The ancient stone walls and colonial era farms still line Frankland Road. While modern homes have sprouted along the way, the old road retains the feel of the ancient pathway west.
Levi Badger Chase recorded the route in his book The Bay Path and Along the Way (1919) showing the Bay Path following Frankland Road and the modern highway (RT 135) to the center of Hopkinton and continuing on towards Woodsville (green line on 1875 map).
A variation was introduced by Byrle Osborn in the History of Hopkinton, Massachusetts (1980). Osborn recorded "All agree that it followed present Frankland Road into present Hopkinton but recent research seems to indicate that it did not pass through the center of Hopkinton as it is now but instead left present Frankland Road near lucky Rock manor and skirted Meeting House Hill on the north and west along the edge of a swampy lowlands to a point near the junction of present Woods and Proctor Streets." The approximate route around the center of Hopkinton is displayed as the purple line. Both routes intersect west of Hopkinton Center near Woods and Proctor Streets.
Finding Whitehall
Whitehall in Hopkinton is the place along the Old Connecticut Path where Thomas Hooker and congregation camped according to local legend. The area is about 30 miles along the Path from Cambridge. At an estimated 10 miles per day, the area would be the resting place on the third night going to Connecticut. Finding the likely place of their camp offers opportunity for trail sleuthing along ancient roadways, colonial homesteads and forest retreats.Finding Whitehall Pond (left) is not as easy as it would seem. Levi Badger Chase described the route of the Bay Path (Old Connecticut Path) heading west from Hopkinton Center through Woodville passing Whitehall Pond to reach Westborough. His map (right) shows a route that follows the route of the Wood Street/Route 135.
Chase's solution seems obvious. Except that Whitehall Pond, as shown on his map, was Whitehall Reservoir. The dam to create the reservoir flooded three smaller ponds. Whitehall Pond was the furthest pond south from Woodville. Chase's understanding of the route of the Path reflected the 1900 era, not 1636. While there undoubtedly was a path along this route leading to the area of Westborough, the route west would have been more indirect with greater distance than a route by Whitehall Pond.
Harral Ayres proposed an alternate route for the Old Connecticut Path in his book The Great Trail of New England (1940). "At the west of Hopkinton the old trail appears to have followed what is now Elm Street and the Caffree Road (Pond Street) to the forest lake that lies below Bear Hill and is now known as Whitehall pond or lake." Ayres' route leads to the south end of Whitehall Pond (see map left). Unfortunately Ayres did not offer any specific directions from this point west to Grafton/Hassanamisco. He noted the possibility of a short cut through Upton to the Blackstone River. Again without any specific details.Pond Street provides a scenic ride along the ancient stone wall lined road leading down to the south end of Whitehall Reservoir. The view of the former Whitehall Pond from Pond Street (see picture above) reflects the enlargement of the pond due to the raised water level from the Whitehall Reservoir Dam located to the north in Woodville.
Bear Hill on Whitehall Pond
There are three sites located in the vicinity of Whitehall Pond connected with native Indian and early English settlement. The close proximity of these sites on the south and west sides of Whitehall Pond suggest place where paths crossed.
See the Hopkinton Historic Commission report for Bear Hill Cemetery at http://www.hopkinton.org/historical/properties/Pond_St/Bear_Hill_Cemetery.htm
1. Bear Hill Cemetery: Located just off Pond Street and overlooking the former meadows now developed for homes on Jamie Lane, the Bear Hill Cemetery has significance for both the native Indian tribes and the earliest English settlers. According to the Hokinton Historic Commission records, "A tiny plot of little more than half an acre, Bear Hill cemetery is the oldest of Hopkinton's cemeteries. In addition to early settlers of the Bear Hill District, two colonial soldiers killed in the "King Philip's War" in 1675 are buried here, along with fifteen native Americans, and two British soldiers. (None of the very earliest graves are marked; markers for the British graves were stolen several years ago.)"Further indication of Bear Hill's significance for the Indians who once lived in this area, the Hopkinton Historic Commission records "Just to the west of the cemetery, a cone-shaped depression ca. thirty feet across remains at the site of an early native American village. The depression is said to have been lined with bark, and used as a corn storage pit."
2. Stone Mound: Located south of Pond Street near the Bear Hill Cemetery lies the best known stone mound in Hopkinton, this is one of many earth and stoneworks reported to exist in the Hopkinton area. The type of construction relates closely to a large underground chamber. (a possible "sweathouse",) in neighboring Upton. The Hopkinton Historic Commission records, "The origins and purpose of this structure are unknown. Speculation as to the builders have ranged from early Irish and Norse explorers to the more probable native American tribes. Bear Hill is know to have been frequented by the latter until at least the eighteenth century; in fact, a native village was located adjacent to the Bear Hill Cemetery on Pond Street.""Theories about the structure's purpose include a native American smoke house, a meat-drying cache, a charcoal furnace, perhaps built by early settlers. Bear hill is one of the areas known to have been frequented by charcoal-burners during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries." See the Hopkinton Historic Commission report for the Stone Structure at http://www.hopkinton.org/historical/properties/Pond_St/Stone_Structure.htm
3. Mineral Springs: For nearly four decades in the early 1800s, the Hopkinton Springs complex lured prestigious visitors from all over the country and beyond. Presidents, senators, millionaire businessmen, high-society types - they all came to bathe in or drink from its trio of mineral springs known for their mystical healing waters. The Hopkinton Mineral Springs historic site is located 0.3 mile north of the Bear Hill Cemetery. Access to the site is by public foot path from Lyford Road. Hopkinton resident James Regan researched the history of the mineral springs and provided historic interpretative signs as part of his Eagle Scout project. The Hopkinton Historical Society has conducted tours of the area to interpret the place of the mineral springs in Hopkinton's history. (See http://www.wickedlocal.com/hopkinton/photos/x2030534820/Hopkintons-historic-mineral-springs for report and slide show). Photos of the interpretive signs researched an placed by James Regan can be seen at Hopkinton Mineral Springs Interpretive SignsAmong the historic documents found by Regan was an early map of Hopkinton with notations of the mineral springs and Indian camp sites on Whitehall Pond (right, click to enlarge). Regan described the find in an interview, "One interesting detail about my project is that the one piece of proof of the existence of the hotel was a map drawn in the 1800s that show all the positions of the buildings that were apart of the resort. No one had ever heard of this map and the person who owns it (Dennis Lyford) recently moved away. Before he moved he allowed me to make a digital copy of the map. If I had not done this project that piece of history would have been lost."
Note the smaller size of Whitehall Pond on the map (lower right) before the reservoir dam was constructed at Woodville. Bear Hill Cemetery is located at the center of the map with the mineral springs directly north. Notations on the map identify Indian camp sites around Whitehall Pond and the cedar swamps indicated by trees.
While the mineral springs were "discovered" in 1816 by Joel Norcross, the Indians who camped in this area would very likely have been aware of their presence as a sources of fresh water and, perhaps, their medicinal value.
Whitehall to Westborough
The route of the Bay Path described by Levi Badger Chase missed the connection with Whitehall Pond and its many native American and early English sites. Harral Ayres' description lead to Bear Hill by a less direct, but plausible route. Ayres provided no clear direction from Whitehall to Westborough and on to Grafton. Byrle Osborn in the History of Hopkinton , Massachusetts provides an enticing alternative shown on the map (right) that provides a direct connection to Whitehall and on to Westborough. Osborn describes a route from "a point near the junction of present Woods and Proctor Streets. Thence it followed a westerly course south of present Woodville through the old Whitehall cedar swamp, now Whitehall Reservoir, into what is now Westboro."
The route described by Osborn would not be readily apparent today for two reasons. First, construction of Interstate 495 in the 1960's realigned Wood Street/RT 135 at the place where it crosses effectively cutting access from the east. Second, flooding of the cedar swamp below Whitehall Pond and by the raised water levels from the dam constructed for Whitehall Reservoir in the 1890's has drown the crossing place west of Winter Street (see map below).
Field exploration of the route described by Osborn found that the land between Woods Road and the northeast shore of Whitehall Pond would be easily crossed on foot. An unmarked cart road leads from Winter Street east into the Hopkinton Town Forest and Phipps Conservation Land at the top of the hill (see pictures below left). The hill to the east descends through open woodland between wetlands towards the intersection of Interstate 495 and Wood Street/RT 135(see map right).The Lake Whitehall Trail in Whitehall State Park provides access west of Winter Street leading down to Whitehall Reservoir. The narrows between the peninsulas in the lake would fall within the cedar swamp present before the creation of the reservoir. The old Whitehall Pond would have been located south of the narrows, and would have covered a smaller area. Due to the flooding of the cedar swamp by the reservoir, it is hard to envision a crossing point. However, there are other places along the Old Connecticut Path were similar crossings of low wetlands have been found. The best example can be seen in the Yale Forest in Eastford, CT. Visit 2.60 Chism School to Crystal Pond - Eastford, CT to see how the Old Connecticut Path crossed between beaver ponds. It is likely that the stream at the outlet of Whitehall Pond had a beaver dam across it during the 1630's. Indian paths crossed below beaver dams and the Indians were also reported to use the beaver dams as a bridge to cross wetlands.Visit 2.10 Old Connecticut Path: Walk Across a Beaver Dam - Douglas, MA to cross a beaver dam in the Douglas Woods.
Continuation of the Path towards Westborough likely went uphill through now wooded area west of Spring Street passing the site of the former Hopkinton Springs Hotel. Field exploration of this area found cart paths leading uphill parallel to/south of Hill Street that provide an easy grade on firm footing. The height of the land in Westborough can be reached on foot within 30 minutes from the area of the Mineral Springs/Bear Hill Cemetery in Hopkinton.Hill Street provides an "on road" alternative that may have been adopted as better suited for wagon travel following English settlement. The higher ground just south of provides better exposure to the sun which would have opened the woodland earlier in the spring for travelers on foot. Hill Street follows a depression in the hill side that might hold winter snows longer than the open woods just to the south.
Whitehall Campsite of Thomas Hooker's Congregation
If the local legend that Thomas Hooker and congregation camped at Whitehall Pond is correct, the likely location that ended their third day of walking to Connecticut might be found between Bear Hill Cemetery and the Hopkinton Mineral Springs (see map left). The routes of the Old Connecticut Path suggested by Harral Ayres in The Great Trail of New England and by Byrle Osborn in the History of Hopkinton, Massachusetts converge in this area on the west side of Whitehall Pond.Visitors today can access the site by the footpath from Lyford Road leading to the Hopkinton Mineral Springs site within Whitehall State Park. The cart road crossing the brook leading to the springs can be followed (west) into the open meadow adjacent to the homes built along Stewart Street and Donna Pass. The state park land leads to an access onto Donna Pass.
Given the height of the land where Bear Hill Cemetery is located, the drop in elevation to the area of homes along Jamie Lane/Steward Street, and the relatively flat area where homes have been built along these streets, it is likely that the landscape has been excavated at some time in the past for gravel. Any native American or English artifacts would have been lost. However, the location between the known Indian village at Bear Hill (west), the brook and mineral springs (north), and the shore of Whitehall Pond (east) would be a highly likely location for a camp site by those traveling the Old Connecticut Path.
Visit Hopkinton & Whitehall
Hopkinton has much history, back roads and hidden places to explore and scenic beauty. Some resources to help find the Old Connecticut Path and places along the way include:
1. The Hopkinton Trail Guide published by the Hopkinton Open Space Preservation Commission. A copy is available at http://www.hopkinton.org/openspace/index.htm The guide includes information on trails found within the Town Forest and Phipps Conservation areas. Information is also available on the Whitehall State Park.
2. Whitehall State Park provides miles of trails around the reservoir including access to the Hopkinton Mineral Springs site. The state park is described in the Hopkinton Trail Guide (above) and at the Whitehall State park web page http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/whit.htm
3. The Hopkinton Trails Club web site provides additional information on open spaces in Hopkinton on its web site at http://www.hopkintontrailsclub.com/index.html
4. The Hopikinton Historical Commission web site provides information on historic properties within town including Bear Hill and the Stone Mounds on Pond Street. The site is at
http://www.hopkinton.org/historical/
5. The Hopkinton Historical Society provides information on the history of the town and programs sponsored by the historical society on its web site at http://hopkhistsoc.org/
RETURN TO: 1.0 Cambridge to Sutton, Massachusetts
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