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Search for the Soapstone Quarry, Part II
cracker:
I'm not making light of your post but that last set of photos looks like a setting for a Steven King novel.Ron
Dane:
We ended up coming down the side of Bare Mountain not far from Cambridgeport, just as I did before, but even farther from the village. The only native I saw was a dog that didn’t like seeing us and said so, and two old cars from the 1950s rusting deep in the woods. There was also an intriguing old stone cistern, which I half-expected to see the demonic Samara from the film “The Ring” and the Japanese Ringu novels come scurrying out of at any second, it’s wooden top long rotted away. Most unexpected of all was a pet cemetery we discovered. The last burial was around 2,000, nine years ago, but there was what looked like a fresh grave, but still with no marker yet.
As with all hikes, we had to make it back to where we started. I am guessing about 5 hours later, safe and sound and not devoured by any evil forest creatures, we were back by my trusty scarab green Saab named Zog (all my cars get named Zog) and headed back. We stopped for junk food in the little general store in Saxton’s River, which frustratingly didn’t have any Moxie in stock, a wonderfully-strange New England soda (what the natives call seltzer) that is hard to describe but grew on me over time.
Back we went, through Westminster West, back through Putney, one of my favorite little villages in the region, and home of Curtis’ All American Barbeque, billed as the 8th Wonder of the World and a fantastic bbq joint. The place consists of an open air hardwood fire pit, two old blue school buses sans wheels where you place your order and pick up your food, picnic benches under the dappled shade of 100 ancient old hardwood trees, and of course Curtis grilling up racks of pork ribs and chickens in the company of his pet pig. We were about a month too early to stop there this time, though. A nicer guy you will never meet, and ribs fall of the bone in a wonderful way carnivores everywhere would appreciate.
The last photos you see are pinhole shots I took of the Putney Graveyard two autums back. Mostly, I just wanted to share them, so here they are.
Later this spring or this summer, another trip will happen. It is kind of personal at this point to just find the quarries, if you understand what I mean. Rick and Jamie will probably be with me next time, and between us, Bare Mountain will give up it's small secret. At least, I hope it's a small secret. :)
The End
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Dane:
--- Quote from: cracker on April 25, 2009, 07:28:21 am ---I'm not making light of your post but that last set of photos looks like a setting for a Steven King novel.Ron
--- End quote ---
Cracker, thanks. I always get that feeling when I am up that way. King would love this area if he ever leaves Maine.
Dane
stickbender:
Cool! 8) I would love to go up there with you. That would be awesome! I am anxiously awaiting your next installment, in the adventures of the lost quarries...... ;) Keep us up to date on your travels there. I would think it would be easier to find the Quarries in the waning months of the winter, and early spring, due to lack of lush vegetation. Did they have any source of power other than man, and animal? Was there a mill near by that processed the soapstone? Or was it just shipped out in blocks, to be processed by other mills, and factories? I was thinking that they might have used the river for power, or transporting the soap stone. Well I wish you luck in finding them. And do keep us updated on your search.
Wayne
Dane:
Thanks Wayne!
There was a soapstone mill in Cambridgeport, called the Butterfield & Smith mill. It was the opposite end of Main Street as that old woolen mill ruins I posted the photo of. It was operated by the mill run that ran behind all the industrial concerns on that side of the village. The run is pretty much clogged up, and you would never know today there was even one there if you havent looked at old maps.
Right next to the quarries was the "Steam Stone Mill." It was run either by steam or by a stream. There are a few streams on Bare Hill, and the Saxton River runs through Grafton and then back through Cambridgeport and finally into Saxtons River, and then ultimately to Bellows Falls, where there was a major railhead, as well as more rivers and streams. I think there was at least one more soapstone mill in Grafton itself, so I think they had plenty of ways to get the raw stone to manufacturing firms and to markets outside the area.
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