2.66 Ancient Path Across Chism Farm: Ashford/Eastford, Connecticut
Charles Chism described the route of the Old Connecticut Path across the family homestead on Axe Factory Road in Westford, CT. His description, recorded by Harral Ayres in his book The Great Trail of New England, notes that there was a strip of land across the farm that had never been plowed. This was the place where the Path crossed the Chism farm. A remnant of the Path fitting Charles Chism's description may be found today on Pine Hill. The video brings you on a short walk within a stone wall lined corridor along the edge of Pine Hill just west of the Chism homestead. The placement of the ancient road follows the line drawn by David Chism in his map of the Old Connecticut Path. The route across the Chism farm connects with the segments headed east towards Bigelow Brook and headed west across that Natchaug State Forest towards Grass Hill.To view the video, click on the picture (left) or link to Ancient Pathway Across the Chism Farm
Local legend and traditions recorded by Ellen Larned in her History of Windham County indicate that the Hooker party camped on Pine Hill on their journey to Hartford in 1636. The fields bordering the ancient pathway and the nearby North Chism Brook would have provided a suitable space for parties traveling along the Path. Based on the route from Cambridge and estimates of the rate of daily travel, Pine Hill would have been near the end of the seventh day of walking with three more days needed to reach Hartford.
Quotes from The Great Trail of New England (1940) by Harral Ayres with additional illustrations by Jason Newton:
"Miss Larned published her History of Windham County, Connecticut, in 1874, following years of research into all classes of ancient records. she discovered many records referring to the old paths. She published with her book a map of Ancient Windham County and on that map are shown the old trails and those trails converge on Woodstock town, for Woodstock is the English settlement in Wabaquasset and Wabaquasset was an ancient crossways for Indian trails. The map shows to Connecticut and the Nipmuck paths." p. 288Click on the map (left) to enlarge a copy of Ellen Larned's "Map of Ancient Windham County". The map (right) has been annotated with the towns along the route of the Old Connecticut Path.
"In Ashford are old families whose ancestors had settled there and farmed back through the centuries. On those farms are old landmarks of the Indian and pioneer trail; a fordway of boulders across a river, flat stepping stones across a wet meadow that had to be crossed, part of mowing fields that have been reverently left unplowed, and other evidence of primitive conquest." p. 288
"There are legends, relics and traditions in that country that cannot be clearly defined; they are the shades of the past that speak of Hooker, of Oldham, and of men who saw lands they liked as they came through and they settled and laid the heritage that men now living still hold. Miss Larned tells of a tradition that the English camped on Pine Hill in Ashford. A tradition is not a record, nevertheless there is a Pine Hill that is a noted landmark on the old trail, on the farm that now is the homestead of Fred C. Chism." p. 288
"David Chism, also of the old Ashford family, became intrigued with those landmarks and legends. He gathered books and he made explorations and studies. His brother, Charles L. Chism, joined in those explorations and observations. David died in 1932, an old man, but he left a map that carefully recorded the trail as they traced it across the old farms." p. 289David Chism's map, dated April 1933, can be enlarged by clicking on the map (left). The copy was obtained from the Connecticut State Library.
"The Chism studies in Ashford, and the Chism map (left) of the old trail that resulted from those studies, established the trail eastward to the south end of Crystal Lake, at the Ashford-Woodstock line. Miss Larned's studies and her map of Ancient Windham County show the old trail eastward through Woodstock from the south of Crystal Lake." p. 289
"The Larned records of Woodstock come from the middle of the past (19th) century. The landmarks in Ashford are mute relics of an age when men traveled on horseback or afoot, not on wagon roads." p. 289
"Charles Chism died 1939; born 1867. We had many conferences and also visits to sections through which the old trail passed, and finally he prepared the following (statement) as an historical record. Maurice Bicknell, Fred C. Chism and others in Ashford have helped in these explorations." p. 289
The statement of Charles L. Chism recorded in 1936 follows:
"Our families for many generations have been landowners and residents of Ashford, in the neighborhood of Westford. The old Hooker trail, as known in our country, passes through our lands and landmarks remain and the history of the old trail has been studied by myself and other members of the family." pp. 289-290
"Our old homestead is at Pine Hill, one mile east of the present Westford village. There have been several Westford villages in the past. My father, John A. Chism, lived on the old place and before him were John Moore, Noah Moore, Jacob Chapman, John and Thomas Hayward. Westward, and also on or near the old trail, is the homestead of my grandfather, David Chism; and a little farther is the homestead of my uncle, Charles D. Chism." p 290
"The family history is that several members of the Hooker party settled in this neighborhood and that one of the Haywards settled on our old homestead. William Chapman was one of the early settlers and his farm was a half mile farther west, on the trail. The country is hilly but there were parcels of exceptionally good land on those farms. There are traditions of wheat production in the past that brought rich returns." p. 290
NOTE: The 1833 map of Ashford (above left) shows the "Pine Hill" area in the northern part of Ashford, not near Ashford village (click to enlarge). The Chism homestead is with the "Pine Hill" area. The hill referred to by Charles Chism is still owned by descendants of Fred Chism, and is still known as Pine Hill.
"There is a tradition generally accepted in Ashford that the Hooker party encamped on Pine Hill in Ashford. Miss Larned's History speaks of this. Sometimes Pine Hill is associated with the present village of Ashford. Ashford village is an oak and chestnut country; not pine." p. 290"The Pine Hill of our old homestead was covered, even down to my time, with heavy growth of virgin pine timber. The hill was a conspicuous landmark in the Mt. Hope Valley and was visible from Willimantic and Mt. Hope." pp. 290-291
"There are roadside fences of stone, garden walls, cellars and other stone relics that speak of old-time homes and industry. A young forest now spreads over that country. For generations non-denominational Church meetings were held around in the homes of those old settlers." p. 291"There are landmarks eastward and westward of our Pine Hill homestead, and on the farm itself that are either the work of the Indians or else of the pioneers of the years when they crossed the country on foot. On the old homestead are two strips of the old trail that have never been plowed although in the middle of a fertile mowing field." p 291
LOCATOR MAPS
The area of the ancient Pathway crossing Pine Hill is now privately owned land. The pathway lies approximately 100 yards north of Eastford Road at the edge of the hillside. Access is difficult and should not be attempted without direct guidance. The picture (left) shows Pine Hill viewed from Eastford Road. The area lined by stone walls is at the top of the hill.Maps displayed in the video are shown below for reference purposes.
A stone bridge abutment, dam and mill site on North Chism Brook lie immediately west of the stone lined corridor shown in the video. These align with the route west towards the intersection with Eastford Road. Traces of this route may still be found leading to the point where the Old Connecticut Path descends towards Boston Hollow Brook following the Nipmuck Trail.
The map by David Chism (left / click to enlarge) has been cropped to show the area of the Chism homestead. Location of the ancient pathway is shown west of Axe Factory Road along the dark line of the Old Connecticut Path.The route of the Old Connecticut Path shown in the video is within the purple square on the map (left / click to enlarge).
Mill and dam site on North Chism Brook (left / click to enlarge).
Bridge abutment on North Chism Brook aligned with the Old Connecticut Path and downstream from the mill site (right / click to enlarge).
Related pages with videos:
2.65 Walking to School in the 1860s-1870s – Ashford/Eastford, Connecticut travels east from the Chism homestead crossing Bigelow Brook to reach the school the Chisms attended in the 1870s.
2.67 Natchaug Forest Crossing– Ashford, Connecticut travels west from the Chism homestead across Natchaug State Forest on the Nipmuck Path to Grass Hill at "The Trail" monument on RT 89.
RETURN TO: 2.001 Guide to Crossing the Last Green Valley: West Sutton, MA to Tolland, CT