History

History: Are you aware that the “trails” we walk on are actually remnants of the “road system” installed back in the 1950s when James DeNormandie built roads for cars and trucks for access and safety reasons? DeNormandie also built some of the ponds (including the pond at the entrance and the spot that the 2002 Conservation Commission dubbed and allowed to be the remaining “Dog Swimming Area.”)

History - Phases of Mt. Misery Land Use and Development

3 phases: 1900-1969; 1969—2002; 2002 to present:

Research resources include: LLCT commissioned oral histories of Mt. Misery land owners by Jo Salinger in 1981, Town Reports, Lincoln Fence Viewer, Lincoln history books.

Should the circa 1980 photo, in the archives of the Lincoln Library, of an Irish Setter and two couples down by the Sudbury River become an historic time stamp of a tradition lost? Should my photo of Daisy on the Mt. Misery trail to be the last one I can take?

What is historically relevant is that Mt. Misery has traditionally been a place for people and recreation. Reviewing history it is also clear that wildlife at Mt. Misery has flourished.

Long before the largely federally funded Town purchase of Mt. Misery in 1969, Mt. Misery was actively farmed and used for public recreation; the wildlife that abounds has occurred concurrently with its public use. A photo at the Lincoln Library of a full 117 parking lot circa 1980 suggests that use probably is consistent – (and probably less since 2002 now that users can no longer park at St. Anne’s.)

Jim DeNormandie said, “….anyone who tries to tell you that what we have is a wilderness is not realistic. You do not realize how many people are in these woods. They are everywhere. They are not always skiing or snowshoeing either, some of them are just out walking if it is a light snow.”

Wild borders along wide trails can give the impression that the trails are “widening” when really the trails are narrowing as brush grows up along what had been a road system for cars and emergency fire vehicles.

The man-made ponds are flourishing, too. Where no ponds existed before, Blue Heron, ducks, beaver and other species thrive. In the Kettle Hole where cranberries were farmed, one can see ducks swimming.

Brief highlights of Mt. Misery pre-1969; Mt. Misery 1969-2002; Mt. Misery 2002- present.

1920s–1969 general land development

In his 1981 work commissioned by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and archived in the Library, Jo Salinger documents a wonderful history of Mt. Misery. He conducted oral histories of its landowners prior to the Town purchase. For example:

a. The Lower Pond is man –made, dug out, and gravel and dirt from it was used to build the “new” 117.

b. All of the 234 acres were actively farmed and/or used for public recreation

c. Most trails are remnants of the “Road System” primarily installed, developed and enhanced by Jim DeNormandie for safety and access.

d. Five of the ponds are man-made

e. One of the ponds was dug to dry out the adjacent field so it could be plowed and farmed.

f. The Kettle Hole was used to farm cranberries

When the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission (ORRRC) granted us $873,650 to buy public land in 1969, it was with the intent to get us healthy through outdoor activity. From the Land and Water Conservation Fund Program web site:

“…the Commission’s major recommendations were… the United States should establish a national recreation policy to preserve, develop and make accessible to all Americans the resources needed "for individual enjoyment and to assure the physical, cultural, and spiritual benefits of outdoor recreation.

In conclusion, the Land and Water Conservation Fund program is building a permanent legacy for future generations. The source of this legacy will not always be obvious to the millions of Americans, old and young, who want places to hike in the woods, swim, play ball, watch wildlife, picnic, sit under a tree, chase a pigeon or walk the dog.”

There are so many reasons we can and should continue the beautiful traditions at Mt. Misery. We can do it! We can work together! The splendor of community living with nature can continue. It doesn’t have to end.

Appendix: Excerpts from Jo Salingers 1981 oral histories:

“We widened the road when we built the pond so that you could get by with a car. “

JES (Salinger): What other roads did you put in?

JDN (DeNormandie): “The road up the side of the mountain was always there. We completed the road between the two ponds, about the upper pond. One of the things we wanted to do was to have all of the roads connect in case of fire. That is the reason for having the roads wide enough so that a car could get through.…“….anyone who tries to tell you that what we have is a wilderness is not realistic. You do not realize how many people are in these woods. They are everywhere. They are not always skiing or snowshoeing either, some of them are just out walking if it is a light snow.”

JES: “When did you build the cabin on top of the mountain?”

JDN: Around 1952 or 1953

JDN: “Everything has sort of been changed around one way or another. The pond itself has been built up. The pond was dry and had been washed out when we first took it over.

JES: When did you put in the upper and lower ponds?

JDN: Well the upper pond had been there. IT was the water source for the mill that was down below.

JES: Did you have to dig much to build the Lower Pond?

JDN. Yes, we dug a lot out there. They used much of the dirt to rebuild the new 117. It worked out very well because it enable us to build a deep pond.”

JES: Did you put the two upper pond in up near St. Anne’s because of the impact on the water table due to the two upper ponds?

JDN: “No, oh no, no. We put those up there because there is a lot of swamp there on the edge and we dug them out in order to get to the ends of the fields so we could plow them. …We were able to get fairly close to the edge of the pond to plow. … We hope to use what we dug out [of the pond] to make the rest of the field solid, because it is fairly low there. That turned out to be a real hole. A tractor could have disappeared in the place. Of course now it is grown up in alders.

Also in the Library:

Photos from late 70s early 80s photos from the library. Two couples, one with an Irish setter (off leash) at the Sudbury River, with vegetation the same as we see today. A full parking lot.

Clipping from Fence Viewer including 30 Boy Scouts camping at Mt. Misery in 1969.

Mt. Misery has worked out better than could have been anticipated -- the wildlife is flourishing, and though the parking lot can be full mid day on nice

weekends -- many a time the parking lot is practically empty -- even on

weekends. The use at Mt. Misery is much less than had been anticipated by

the original grant.

Okay passages:

From 1970 - (stars added for emphasis)

"we completed the acquisition of the last parcel of the Mt. Misery acquisition voted in 1968.....we were notified that the total project was accepted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Outdoor Recreation....

Some of the more tangible results include: construction of a new Mt. Misery parking area on route 117, clearing debris from the top of Mt. Misery itself...

Looking to 1971, we plan to develop a landing on to the Sudbury River for small non-powered boats on 117 near Lee's Bridge.

****We had been planning a new main entrance to the Mt. Misery area from Route 126 near St. Anne's. We are pleased to report that the vestrymen of St. Anne's have offered use of this parking lot on an interim basis. We welcome this gracious offer.. particularly in this economic climate....

New conservation signs will be installed to better identify conservation lands...

From 1975 -

An unexpected challenge for effective policing was induced the by Commonwealth's restoration program at Walden Pond. The resulting overflow of swimmers found its way to Sandy Pond and the lower Pond at MT. Misery, both unsituable for swimming. Traffic hazards were caused by the resultant illegal parking. Working with the Board of Selectmen and the Police Department, we have developed ways of enforcing swimming and parking restrictions....

1979 -

"In response to the traffic and parking congestion caused by cross-country skiers during the 1977-78 season the Commisison has begun to prepare a comprehensive trail layout, parking and policing system to ease future conflicts including trespassing on private land....

The advent of cross-country skiing has focused attention on the need for a dependable well trained and equipped search and rescue capapbility. A few years ago, a cross-country skier suffered a heart attack and died on Mt. Misery..."

1983 --

"At Mt. Misery, hazardous trees were removed from trail edges, including lightning struck White Pines.

1992 --

"The donations boxes at Mt. Misery, Schools, and Lincoln Woods parking lots continue to be sources of support for the Ranger Program. Money contributed to these boxes helps offset the costs of the ranger program and trail maintenance. Additional income is also collected through groupuser fees; together these two revenue sources combined to make approximately $1, 054." To summarize some another passage - at one point a pick your own fruit apple orchard was an anticipated ways the commission could make conservation land self-sustaining

Okay -- some passages from Lincoln Town Reports - reports of Conservation Commission (remember that the purchase of Mt. Misery has five man made ponds, a road system intially built for autos and trucks and essentially has a strong history of public use. When the grant was applied for and

recieved it was anticipated that there would be access on Route 126 and Route 117 (so 2 public parking lots were originally planned-- so pretty good for Mt. Misery - and those of us who love the nature and the relative underuse-- that now only essentially one):

This History page, compiled by Barbara P. explains how the trails and much of the geography of Mt. Misery came to be.

Traildogs was created in spring ’05 as a response to unfair and heavy-handed restrictions placed on the responsible dog walkers at Mt Misery Conservation Area in Lincoln, MA. These restrictions remove the freedom to walk trails with dogs unleashed.

Traildogs

History

The new regulations have caused a diverse group of people, many who have walked these trails for decades, to scatter in order to find suitable (not comparable) areas to exercise with their dogs.

Because of the unjust actions of the Lincoln Conservation Commission we have realized how the liberty of the dog owning public is eroding throughout the state of Massachusetts, and New England.

The initial goals of this Website were to provide information on the decision-making process of the town of Lincoln’s Conservation Commission regarding the fate of dog walkers at Mt Misery, and to help the public share their feelings.

We are now working on ways to ensure there will be natural areas where our canine companions are allowed to run, hike, swim, work and play.

Mt Misery Conservation Land

Traildogs.org