Despite the "Walking in the Rain" theme, Shirley's 2006 Fall Foliage Walk unfolded under partly cloudy skies with nary a drop of rain in sight, in contrast to last year's walk which was postponed twice due to rain. The foliage was brilliant and two dozen people showed up in Arthur Banks' driveway for the start. After a short pause for a group portrait, the entire group set off through the Farandnear conservation area.

Walkers enjoyed the sights, sounds and scents of the old cranberry bog's vicinity which is protected by Farandnear's conservation restriction. It was a somewhat chilly day punctuated by welcome warming sunshine. Veteran short walk leaders, Dorothy Hatch and son Cliff, led a select group on a short side trip through Paradise's hemlocks and gorge. At Holden Road, everyone came together again and a short stop was made at the McCarthy property which is currently on the market and being considered for acquisition as open space. John Rounds and Alan Field talked about the merits of the proposed acquisition. The property abuts existing conservation land and would be an excellent complement to existing conservation parcels.

At Holden Road, walkers made their choice of either the short walk or the long walk. The short walk was led, as mentioned, by the Hatch family, and the long walk was led by John Rounds with assistance from Ward Baxter. This year's long walk presented some new results of Ward Baxter's investigations into the history of Shirley's landscape. Ward took us by the remnants of the old gate* between the Page and Holden properties which the Town had required long ago to be erected to prevent the wandering of cattle whose meanderings were causing some hard feelings. He then led the long walkers to a cellar hole which had been considered by many as belonging to Shirley's old pest house. (The "pest house" was where the Town used to send people believed to have dangerous contagious diseases.) Ward said the cellar hole actually was that of the old Phineas Page house (#116 in Ethel Stanwood Bolton's Shirley Uplands and Intervales† -- a drawing of the house is on p. 288).

Ward presented another cellar hole which had also been proposed as a remnant of the old pest house, and finally he led us to his favorite candidate for the pest house cellar hole. He convincingly backed up the authenticity of his candidate with an old title deed which identified the parcel it was on as containing it and which identified other characteristics of the parcel which were still evident.

In the midst of these discoveries, two people on the walk were stung by hornets or wasps. Ward's presentation required some bushwhacking and the route apparently got too close to a nest of these otherwise useful creatures. The two walkers were not seriously affected and continued with the group. Bob Burkhardt, organizer of this year's walk, sends his apologies to the walkers affected. These injuries were unprecedented in the walks he has participated in around Shirley, and he took them as a warning to consider variations to the walking route more carefully.

After visiting the cellar holes, the long walk split into a long long walk led by John Round and a short long walk led by Ward Baxter. The long long walk took in the natural wonders which have traditionally been visited on the Fall Foliage Walk, while the short long walk took a less meandering route to the refreshments at the Fields' home. This year our hosts for the refreshments were Donna Wainwright and Alan Field. Donna provided the walkers with a selection of delicious fresh-baked breads, a savory vegetable pea soup and the traditional mulled cider. She also provided an ice pack to ease one of the walker's insect sting.

Thanks to the people who participated in the walk, to Ward Baxter for his background research, to John Rounds and Alan Field for their short talk promoting conservation in Shirley and last but not least to Donna for the excellent refreshments.

The following is from the Town of Shirley Road Book, Page 400:

A Road from the Philamon Holden House to Holden Road

At a Town meeting held March ye 2, 1779 it was voted to reconsider the vote respecting the road leading from Mr Phineas Pages thru Mr Philomon Holdens land. A transcript of which is as follows:

We the subscribers laid out a road one pole wide beginning at a large rock near Phineas Pages Barn thence running eastwardly on said Philamon Holdens as the path is now trod till it come to a white oak tree at the running line of said Holdens land.

Hear our motion made voted to except of the above road on consideration that the said Page satisfies the said Holden for the said road.

At a Town Meeting held March 5, 1838 it was voted that the owner put up a gate on each end of the road or private way leading from or near Silvenus Holdens house to Eli Pages house and keep them in repair as requested by Eli Page also allow him to work out his highway tax on said road or Private Way.

A picture of the post:


Photo of the old gate post
Photo courtesy of Ward Baxter