Milestones 2013
“The Crown Point Road was not a static, fixed-in-place road, but more like the creek which it often followed, was constantly changing and evolving …”
(CPRA Explorer Al Ransom)
It seems that almost every hike suggests new directions with the discovery of some long-forgotten cellar hole, stone wall or overgrown trail, prompting speculation and a need for further research.
It is this sense of curiosity and the pursuit of early Vermont history that has kept the CPRA active over the past fifty-five years. It also seems that an average of five hikes per year is not adequate when there is still so much to be learned!
Hike leaders and members are always gratified when landowners on the route join in with enthusiasm to help us learn the history of their property.
The Crown Point Road has many known branches and deviations from the 1759 road as planned by the British under General Jeffrey Amherst. As soon as 1760 the road was undergoing alterations and by the time of the American Revolution numerous changes had been made.
Other historic roads may receive more recognition but the Crown Point Road retains its mystery and offers exciting opportunities for on-site exploration. See the 2013 Calendar <a”2012_calendar.htm” href=”2012_calendar.htm”> for planned hikes and events.</a”2012_calendar.htm”>
Outreach
The Crown Point Road Association has several avenues for keeping its members and others informed about its activities and offering opportunity for participation. Our organization includes many true Vermont characters willing to speak to groups interested in finding out more about the history of the CPR.<a”2012_calendar.htm” href=”2012_calendar.htm”></a”2012_calendar.htm”>
Available for viewing are videos produced by Marita Johnson. These include the 2009 end-to-end hike and the auto tours which have been shown on Public TV. The programs may be booked by contacting info@crownpointroad.org or a CPRA officer.
The fifth edition of Historical Markers on the Crown Point Road was printed in 2011 and may be ordered by printing and mailing the order form at: Crown Point Road Association – Book Order Form .
Currently, the CPRA is supporting a group of enthusiasts who are researching the Mount Independence/Hubbardton 1776 Military Road. This road joined the 1759 and 1776 Crown Point Roads at Center Rutland. It also included a branch from Castleton, Vermont to Skenesborough, New York. This military road offers exciting opportunities for future on-site exploration. For those looking to learn more about the Hubbardton Military Road, the group has developed an individual website at www. hubbardtonmilitaryroad.org . The only known publication on the Hubbardton Military Road, written by Joseph Wheeler in 1968, is available for a free download at this website).
Review of 2012 Events
The busy year kicked off with a January meeting in Castleton to discuss Hubbardton Military Road research, followed by a full schedule of hikes, another segment of the auto tour, a re-setting of marker 62B, and participation in two large public events. The 2012 season officially concluded with a grand annual meeting in Rutland. But that was not it for the year, a December hike in Benson to explore the area for cellar holes was also organized just in time to beat the arrival of winter.
On May 12th, Carol & Brook Aldrich led a well attended hike on the Dave Mill’s property in Florence to open the 2012 season of events for the Association. Many thanks to Mr. Mills for allowing Association members and attendees access to his land and for his assistance in guiding the hike.
The official Grand Celebration for the new Champlain bridge was on May 19-20. The CPRA was represented by President Jim Rowe and Becky Tucker at a booth at Chimney Point.
On June 30th, a private motor coach was hired to bring history enthusiasts to the historic Deerfield area in Massachusetts. For those first-time visitors to Deerfield, it was a eye-opening trip back in time. The weather was favorable and everyone enjoyed the trip.
On July 14th, the 5th Annual Auto Tour continued its journey led by Jim Moore. This segment started at Marker 45b in Pittsford and finished at marker 51a in Sudbury. Video footage of the trip will be made available at a future date.
CPRA researchers Barbara & Barry Griffith were the leaders of a very popular hike to Split Rock cave and tavern in Shrewsbury on August 19. According to Russell Perry in 1980, “the old house, said by Charles P. Russell to have been a tavern on the Crown Point Road, was about 100 yards east of a great boulder which had split at a slant to make a cave”. The family story is that Russell lived in the cave while building the tavern.
On September 15th, Jim Rowe, was the hike leader for the day’s two mile hike in the Town of Cavendish. Attendees were very much pleased to visit with Carmine Guica, Historian Emeritus of the CPRA. Additional color was provided by the attendance of two re-enactors from Fort No. 4. On exhibit was a small round shot that was recently discovered near Goldmine Brook in Plymouth last year after tropical storm Irene flooding.
On October 13, 2012 a group set out to explore the route of the 1776, Hubbardton Military Road in the Town of Benson. The focus of their exploration on this day was to document the location of the “Military Bridge” as previously described by Joseph & Mabel Wheeler in their book. The CPRA group found the “Military Bridge” in-place and very much as described more than 50 years ago. The group cleared the stone slabs of accumulated leaves and soil, and documented the GPS position of the bridge for future reference.
The annual meeting and potluck dinner was held on October 21st at the Unitarian-Universalist church in Rutland. Barry Griffith spoke of his research on the British officer John Small who was instrumental in the early construction of the Crown Point Road.