![]() ![]() In summer, hay was raked into windrows then horses drew a tall loader to tumble the loose hay onto a wagon. Nancy Loring said her father William Rowley and her Uncle Marvin Rowley farmed until the mid-1980s. The developer got $3.5 million, Audubon $1.7 million. To avoid a Land Court struggle to divide the land, DCR negotiated a settlement. The other heirs, Margaret Hawley, Eugene and Robert Rowley and Evelyn Sellig, sold their half share to the developer, Spectacle Pond LLC, for $1.95 million. ![]() Massachusetts Audubon in 2006 exercised an option and for $1.513 million purchased a half undivided interest in the property from heirs Nancy Rowley Loring, Thelma Kennedy, Frank H. Developer Jeffrey Polidoro of Egremont wanted the entire parcel. Seven heirs of the last two farming brothers of the Rowley/Hawley family disagreed on the property's disposition. The purchase came after skirmishing with a developer. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in July 2007 acquired 907.3-acre Spectacle Pond Farm, folding it into 3,799-acre Otis State Forest for management purposes. The proposed new line will have 36-inch pipes. The 24-inch line ruptured during blasting for a second line in 1981 and forced an evacuation. Northeast Gas Transmission obtained a 30-foot right-of-way from the Rowley family in 1951 and installed a high-pressure pipeline. In the modern era, Civilian Conservation Corps Company 109 encamped at Upper Spectacle Pond in 1933-35 and built the dam and made other recreational improvements. This is the most historic road in Berkshire County, and it crosses Otis State Forest, and the pipeline. Knox and the teamsters stopped at Henry Spring Jr.'s tavern, the foundation of which is at the north end of Spectacle Pond Farm. Henry Knox in January 1776 used the route to sled mortars, cohorns and cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights to assist George Washington's effort to menace the British out of Boston. James Clephane (the equivalent of today's Army Corps of Engineers) hacked and shoveled, straightened and flattened the old track across Berkshire to accommodate four regiments marching to New York on their way north to attack Quebec City.Īmerican Col. Jeffery Amherst's 200 Pioneers under the command of Maj. It became a war road in October 1758 when British Gen. In the same family (which came to include Rowleys) for generations, that farm tells a forgotten but common story of New England's agricultural growth and decline.īut even more, between the Spectacle Ponds is an old Indian path that became a fur trade trail. "Nine farms surrounding the lower Spectacle pond had in the days of my grandfather 72 inhabitants," he said, "where now there are only six living to till them. Hawley in The Berkshire Gleaner in 1909 described how he had amassed the property he called Mill Brook Farms. There are backcountry camping sites around the pond.William H. ![]() Fish species present: bullhead, brown troutĪlways follow New York state fishing regulations and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office.Use them for an overnight and have fun catching bullhead. There are great camping areas on this pond. The northern end of the pond is quite marshy and not good for shoreline fishing, but most of the other sides are good. Paths lead partway around the pond to access other areas. There is plenty of shoreline fishing available. What you see from the water is a mass of imposing cliffs. Paddlers will need to carry a canoe or kayak the 1.7 miles to this pond. The mountainous terrain around the pond gives it a really interesting feel, with stellar vistas to boot. From here, another slight climb leads to Spectacle Pond, where the trail continues along the south shore for better views. A slight climb from the trailhead goes past Beaver Meadow Hill before descending to cross Shanty Brook, a pleasant backcountry stream. The trail to Spectacle Pond is easy and it's perfect for an afternoon jaunt or a family outing. Continue for 0.6 miles and turn onto Alder Meadow Road and follow that to East Shore Road and continue for 2.75 miles to the trailhead on the left. To get here, take Exit 28 off of Interstate 87 and follow Route 9 south toward Schroon Lake. This wonderful hike and area not to be missed! Getting there ![]()
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