Local Rail Trails

Railroads came to the South Shore in the mid-1800s, and flourished here in the latter years of that century. They provided transportation to and from Boston for workers, as well as for leisure seekers heading south in the summertime. The Old Colony Railroad established most of the routes, and grew extensively as it merged with other rail systems. In 1893, having increased in size to 617 miles, it was absorbed by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Service continued into the 20^thcentury, eventually coming to a close in 1959 with the opening of the Southeast Expressway. Some of the South Shore’s train routes have since been revived. Others have faded away. Still others have been converted into recreational rail trails. 

According to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Massachusetts currently has 65 rail trails, with 390 miles of public access. Sometimes paved, sometimes topped with stone dust, they offer mostly-flat terrain for a variety of recreational pursuits. Some are wheelchair- and stroller-friendly too. Read on for information about several of the rail trails on the South Shore.

 Scituate’s Herring Brook Trail

Beginning in 1871, the Old Colony Railroad traveled through Scituate and Marshfield. In 1938, a hurricane severely damaged the tracks, which were subsequently removed. In Scituate, a small portion of the railroad bed is now an unpaved bike/walking trail. The Herring Brook Trail extends for 0.4 miles through the marsh to the Herring River. Public parking is available next to Dunkin Donuts on the Driftway. Immediately adjacent is the Driftway Multi-Purpose Path, a 2-mile stretch of paved trail set off from the road. Similar to a sidewalk, but wider, it continues to Gilson Road, and links the Herring River Trail to landmarks such as Driftway Conservation Park and the Maritime & Irish Mossing Museum.

Marshfield’s Damon’s Point

Offering a panoramic view of the North River estuary, the pier at Damon’s Point is a popular destination for fishing, photography, and a nice place to watch the sunset. It’s also historic. Right underneath are the remains of a railroad trestle, and the same railroad bed as the Herring Brook Trail. There is a gap in the railroad bed at the southern terminus of Scituate’s trail, where the Herring River flows by. Across the water you can see where the tracks once continued. Heading south through the marsh, they eventually crossed the North River at Damon’s Point, and then continued down the course of today's Damons Point Road. The Marshfield Hills station was at the end of the road, near the intersection with Summer Street. Look for the granite historic marker. Limited public parking is available at Damon’s Point, with priority given to those with mooring parking stickers.

Marshfield’s Bridle Trail and Rail Trail 

The Old Colony Railroad bed continues along Summer Street to today’s Station Street, but this section does not currently offer public access. However, what comes next is one of the area’s longest sections of rail trail! The 3-mile route provides connections among the town’s commercial, residential and recreational areas. The Bridle Trail begins at the intersection of Pinehurst Road and Summer Street. It continues through the woods to the Carolina Hill Conservation Area, crosses Ferry Street, and then extends through forest and meadow past two more street crossings. From there, it’s called the Rail Trail, and it continues, again through woodland, and through the marshes of the South River. The Keville Bridge provides a crossing (and also a canoe/kayak launch), and the trail ends shortly thereafter, at Dandelion Park. At its April 2019 Town Meeting, Marshfield approved major improvements to the Bridle Trail. It will be graded, widened where possible, and laid with stone dust. A variety of safety features will be added, including signs at road crossings, informational kiosks, and crosswalks. Parking for the Rail Trail and Bridle Trail is available at Ferry Street (look for a dirt lot at the roadside) and also in Marshfield Center at Library Plaza.

Hanover’s Indian Head River Trail

The Hanover Branch Railroad was also part of the Old Colony system. It extended 7.8 miles from Hanover Four Corners, through South and West Hanover, across Rockland, to North Abington, where it connected with the route to Plymouth. It officially opened in 1868, and provided passenger service, as well as the transportation of materials and finished products to numerous factories. Today most of the industries are gone, and instead the rail trail leads through the forest and along the Indian Head River. The Indian Head River Trail extends from Luddam’s Ford Park in Hanover to the Hanson town line. Some sections of the two-mile route are muddy; others require detours to Water Street, or along narrow wooded footpaths. But visit this trail and you will not be disappointed! As you walk, look toward the river. You’ll see occasional spurs, and if you follow them, you’ll be granted some gorgeous views of the Indian Head River. Public parking is available at Luddam’s Ford Park in Hanover, and also mid-route, on Water Street.

 Rockland’s Rail Trail

Another section of the same railway begins on the Hanover-Rockland town line and extends to the current MBTA Commuter Rail at North Abington. This mostly-paved rail trail is wide and flat, and provides a 3-mile route for pedestrians and cyclists. Much of it is also stroller and wheelchair friendly. There are numerous access points. From the eastern side, you can park in the cul de sac at the end of Circuit Street in West Hanover, and follow a short path through the woods to the trail. It’s important to know, however, that this is by far the most rustic section. The ties and rails are still intact! For anyone traveling with wheels, this isn’t a good option. More user-friendly access points – all with public parking -- include Rockland’s Police Station, Senior Center and High School, and the North Abington MBTA station. 

by Kezia Bacon

April 2019

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. 

The Chesapeake, The Shannon, and the North River Boys Who Got Between Them

The HMS Shannon.

On June 18, 1812, US President James Madison declared war against the United Kingdom. Trade conflicts had heated up, due to the Napoleonic Wars and the UK’s attempt to block the US from trading with France. Impressment of Americans into the British Navy was also a serious concern. “Press gangs” would search American ships and seaport taverns to find men who were unable to prove their citizenship. From 1803 to 1812, such schemes forced or coerced about 10,000 men into the British Navy.

The first major naval battle of the war took place on August 9, 1812, when the USS Constitution defeated the British ship HMS Guerrierre off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Constitution earned its nickname “Old Ironsides” that day -- cannonballs fired at it seemed to bounce away without causing damage.

In the early days of the war, Britain had focused its martial efforts in places other than Massachusetts, perhaps hoping that ambivalent New Englanders would eventually throw their support its way. By the spring of 1813, things had changed. The British established a blockade along the Massachusetts shoreline, and threatened to destroy coastal towns. Many communities were attacked. On Cape Cod, some towns paid extortion fees to avoid invasion.

On June 1, 1813, the British blockade was very much in place off the coast of the South Shore. Meanwhile a more personal marine enterprise was on the minds of three local boys -- Perez Hatch and Thomas Mitchell of Marshfield’s “Two Mile,” and Thomas Stetson, from across the river in present-day Norwell. With the help of an elder Hatch, the three boys, ages 12-14, had constructed a sturdy boat. Employing a team of oxen, they hauled the vessel to the water’s edge, and launched it on the North River.

They had planned an all-day excursion, intending to fish until their boat was full. After rowing several miles downstream to the mouth of the river – remember, the mouth back then was at the southernend of Humarock– they continued up the coast to Scituate.

A heavy fog set in as they arrived at a favorite spot. They proceeded to fish for cod, and hours later when their boat was full, they prepared to turn toward home. It was then that the fog began to lift. Imagine the boys’ astonishment when they observed the British HMS Shannon only a few hundred yards away!

This was frightening to behold. If the boys were spotted, they might be subject to impressment, as had been the case for their neighbor Hatch Oakman and other local fishermen. Some not much older than them had been forced to serve in the British Navy.

They rowed away quickly, hoping not to be noticed, and continued even when they heard someone bellow “Heave to!” Escape remained their priority until a shot rang out over their heads. Terrified, they decided it would be best to pull up alongside the Shannon. Beckoned aboard, they presented themselves to Captain Brock, and were relieved when he received them kindly, asking them questions about their families and what they were carrying in their boat.

When the boys responded, “Fish,” Brock ordered that it be brought up and laid on the deck. Brock offered to pay the boys for their catch. They demurred, insisting that he take it for nothing. But Brock handed each boy a shilling. 

Before departing, the teenagers warned the Brock that Captain Lawrence and the USS Chesapeake would be arriving soon from Boston. The British captain knew this already. He had invited Lawrence, by letter, to battle that day. Soon after, they spotted a ship coming down the coast. As the men on the Shannon prepared to fight, Brock advised the boys to clear out. They did, and from a distance they witnessed the battle between the two ships.

The Chesapeake and its inexperienced crew were no match for the better-equipped Shannon. Eighty men were killed in the battle, and 252 wounded. The British captured the Chesapeake and piloted it to Halifax, Nova Scotia, imprisoning all on board.

The war continued for another year and a half, spreading north to Canada, west to the Great Lakes, and south to Louisiana. There were significant victories on both sides, and significant losses. In the end, frustrated by the prolonged disruption of trade and increased taxation, both nations wanted out. The war officially ended in stalemate, with no boundaries changed, on February 17, 1815.

Whathadchanged was how Americans obtained everyday goods. An industrial revolution had begun. The long-term blockade turned the nation away from sea trade to more home-grown sources. There were already mills to cut timber and grind grain, but after the War of 1812, domestic milling and manufacturing grew exponentially. Pretty much every stream with sufficient power became home to a mill and a dam.

Well before the war, Perez Hatch’s family had established a grist mill in Marshfield on Two Mile Brook, a tributary to the North River. They would soon build three other mills on the same stream – saw, satinet/coffin and boxboard. There were similar efforts all over the South Shore. Nails and tacks were forged. Carding and fulling mills processed fiber into cloth. Wood was sliced into shingles and boxboard. Agriculture had already transformed the local landscape from forest to field. Now rivers and streams would change as well, with dams creating ponds, altering the course of the water’s flow, and preventing native fish like river herring from migrating up and downstream. But that’s a topic for another day.

by Kezia Bacon

December 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

120 Years Ago: The Portland Gale

Looking toward the South River in the Rexhame Dunes (2018).

Friday morning, November 25th, 1898: sunny and clear. Thanksgiving now over for another year, the citizens of Marshfield and Scituate begin their days. Not too cold, not too windy, it is the kind of weather in which people are glad to be outside, soaking up a last few warming rays of sun before the biting chill of winter sets in.

Friday evening: a low pressure area is noted to be moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern seaboard. Other reports show a similar weather system moving eastward from the Lakes Region. As these are not unusual conditions for a seaside New England town at this time of year, no special precautions are taken. 

Saturday morning, November 26th: a gray day, strangely quiet. 

Saturday evening: the temperature drops. Snow flurries begin, and there is talk of an oncoming squall. 

The gale comes on quickly and severely, and lasts through Saturday night, its winds churning the waters, bringing on floods that destroy ships and houses, bridges and roads. The eye passes over Marshfield and Scituate around 6 o'clock Sunday morning, offering temporary relief from the relentless snow and winds. After another 24 hours of storming, the sun of Monday, November 28th rises to reveal death, disaster, and drastic change.

Under normal circumstances, the Portland Gale would have gone down in history as another characteristic Nor'easter, its fierce winds and waters causing the usual damage along the coast. However, in the towns of Marshfield and Scituate, a storm surge washed away the land between Third and Fourth Cliffs, at Humarock. This cut in the beach created a new outlet to the sea, redirecting the course of the North River, and adding three miles to the length of the South River.  

Until the Blizzard of 1978, the 1898 Portland Gale was known as the most intense storm ever to pass through New England. Its fierce, icy winds blew throughout the weekend, generating huge breakers that pounded the shore steadily, day and night. Cape Cod was hit the worst, but there was destruction up and down the coast. From Maine to Massachusetts, 141 shipwrecks were reported. A total of 100 bodies were found along the South Shore, from Nantasket to Plymouth. 

Along the South Shore, electric and telegraph poles lay among fallen fences and uprooted trees. Many houses displayed toppled chimneys and broken windows. Brant Rock resident Carrie Phillips wrote, “Sea walls are all gone. There is hardly room to drive a team. . .  the bank has washed away so. . . . The roads are full of wreckage of all kinds, lobster traps, boats and furniture, I can look out my window and see a nice bed lounge and stoves, etc. scattered around.”

The steamer Portland, which had set sail from Boston on Saturday evening, was wrecked at sea, sparing not a single passenger. Clothing, cabin furnishings and merchandise -- boxes of tobacco, cheese, and oil, barrels of whiskey, tubs of lard --  were among the salvage found up and down the shore. 

In earlier times, the town of Marshfield was known as Missaukatucket -- "At the large mouth of the river." The North and South Rivers flowed together and emptied into the sea at what is now Rexhame Beach. Until the Portland Gale, the peninsula of Humarock ran south from Scituate's Third Cliff, extending far past Fourth Cliff to the river mouth. What is now the mouth of the river, was then a narrow shingle beach connecting the cliffs. 

A 2018 view of the Rexhame Dunes, the former location of the mouth of the North River.

When the new mouth of the river broke through, three miles north of its original inlet, Humarock was suddenly detached from the mainland. It became, if only for a few years, an island. Despite the efforts of a group of divinity students, armed with shovels and determined to keep the mouth open, the inlet at Rexhame filled in with sand, and Humarock was once again a peninsula, attached to Marshfield now, instead of Scituate.

It may not have been entirely nature's choice to cut a new river mouth. In 1831, Samuel Deane, in his History of Scituate, observed, “The beach between the third and fourth cliff, is composed of sand and pebbles, . . . it is slowly wasting, and the river probably will eventually find its outlet between these cliffs.”

This was likely music to the ears of North River shipbuilders. The river was so shallow that large ships could only be brought downstream during high tides. It often took a full week to navigate a newly-constructed vessel to the sea. 

An attempt to relocate the mouth of the North was made in 1843. Citizens drew up a petition requesting a cut between the cliffs. After a local hearing, the state decided against the proposal, concluding that such a cut would damage the meadows upstream. Despite the state's rejection of their plea, proponents of the cut set out one night with picks, shovels, hoes, and axes, driving ox and horse teams, using only dim lanterns to light their way. 

Working through the night, they managed to dig all the way across the beach, only to discover a rock-hard meadow bank beneath the sand, dense enough to prevent the completion of their mission. Water flowed through the newly-dug channel temporarily, but the beach soon filled back in. There is speculation, however, that because of this initial effort, the land between Third and Fourth Cliffs was weakened, and thus more vulnerable to the Portland Gale’s tidal wave. 

The mouth of the North River in the 1990s.

Please join me for a walk to commemorate the 120^thAnniversary of the Portland Gale. We will meet at the Rexhame Beach parking lot (at the end of Standish Street in Marshfield) at 11am on Saturday, November 24^th, and spend some time touring the riverbank and dunes. I’ll discuss the storm, how it received its name, and the damage it wrought, and also talk about what life was like on the South Shore in the 1890s. No dogs please. The walk is free, but please register by visiting http://www.nsrwa.org/nsrwa-events/the-1898-portland-gale-the-storm-that-changed-the-rivers-mouth-walk/

by Kezia Bacon

November 2018

A trail through the Rexhame Dunes.

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Should We Ban Plastic Bags? (updated)

Have you heard about the colossal gyres of plastic trash in our oceans? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, off the coast of California, is estimated to be 1-2 times the size of Texas! To date, we have not found an effective way to eradicate these monstrosities. Which unfortunately means that sea animals are dying in great numbers – about 100,000dolphins, seals, turtles, porpoises and whales per year – plus another 2 million birds – all from ingesting, or becoming entangled in, single-use plastic bags.

This sort of news makes me think twice about the disposable plastic products I use regularly – things like sandwich bags, drinking straws, and food wrap. There has to be a better way.

So let’s talk about the ubiquitous single use plastic shopping bag. Even those of us who bring our own bags to the store sometimes forget, and end up carrying our purchases home in plastic. I generally repurpose those flimsy bags for trash disposal. But even when I’ve doubled the life of a single-use bag, it still ends up in the garbage, contributing to the ongoing global problem.

One way to address this issue is at its source: to ban the use of single-use plastic bags, like they’ve done in Europe, China, and California, as well as cities like New York, Los Angeles, DC, Boston and Chicago, . . . and small towns too. Right here in Massachusetts, there are 83municipalities with restrictions on plastic bags, including Plymouth, Duxbury, and Marshfield. Pembroke and Scituate will consider town-wide bans of single use plastic bags at their Town Meetings this fall.

When I first began reading about these bans, I shrugged. How could they succeed? People are reluctant to give up their conveniences, and getting into the habit of always having a shopping bag with you is a lifestyle shift. But after delving a little deeper into the research, I now see how effective such bans can be. Here’s what I learned.

How Many Bags?

Every year, Americans discard 100 billion single use plastic bags. In Massachusetts, that’s about 51,000 plastic bags per week for the average market. These bags are our third largest source of litter, behind cigarette butts and bottle caps. 

Where Do They Go Next?

What happens to these bags when we’ve discarded them? They don’t just disappear. Plastic can be recycled, but it doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, over time, it breaks down into increasingly smaller fragments, eventually into microplastics that can do grievous harm to animals, the oceans, and our environment in general. 

Why Are Plastic Bags A Problem?

• From the start, single use plastic bags cause trouble. The oil or gas required to produce them, and the greenhouses gases released during production, simply do not justify their very short period of use. We’re depleting non-renewable resources in order to make bags that continue to do harm in their afterlife.

• Many communities are unable to recycle them, due to repeated issues with machinery jams. In the past, we could send our recycling materials to China, but not anymore.

• It takes 200+ years for a plastic bag deposited in a landfill to decompose. During this time it releases methane gas and carbon dioxide. If incinerated, it releases, toxic fine particles into the air.

• In the oceans, where many of these bags ultimately end up, tiny fragments of plastic are consumed inadvertently by fish and other sea animals. These toxins move up the food chain, eventually appearing -- imperceptibly -- in the fish we eat.

What Kinds of Bags Get Banned?

Plastic shopping bag bans are becoming increasingly popular because they significantly decrease waste while encouraging the use of more sustainable (often cloth) shopping bags. These bans don’t prohibit heavier plastic bags, nor the ones used for meat or produce, newspapers or dry cleaning. The only bags banned are the thin plastic disposable type most commonly found at grocery store checkouts. 

How Can I Help?

Scituate resident Kate Glennon, who has helped bring a plastic bag ban to the town’s upcoming own Meeting Warrant, puts this all in perspective. She writes, "Now more than ever, we are seeing how small local choices, personal choices, can effect change on a larger scale. That's how we started polluting, and that's how we can abate the damage we've done. Changing our consumer habits to become less dependent on conveniences like single-use plastics creates a ripple effect visible to manufacturers and retailers, and visible in shorelines and waterways—not just in Scituate but all our interconnected communities." Scituate’s Town Meeting takes place November 14^th. If you’re a Scituate resident, please vote to support the ban of single use plastic bags.

Pembroke residents have a similar opportunity, taking place at Town Meeting on October 23^rd. In support of the ban, resident Stephanie Hagan writes, “Although a plastic bag ban could be an inconvenience to some, the economic and environmental inconveniences are greater. I believe most consumers are unaware they’re paying 4 cents a bag, built into their commodities. At 9 million bags a year in Pembroke alone, that’s over $350,000 and about $30 a year per family. . . The mere inconvenience of bringing your reusable bag or choosing paper does not outweigh the importance of this issue.”

Glennon adds, "I'm not sure anyone will miss the thin plastic grocery bags. They're flimsy and we know they end up in the landfill by the millions, and in waterways. There's no shortage of other thin plastic bags (like bread bags) that can be kept for household re-use."

If you live in a town that does not presently ban these bags, you can still choose not to use them personally. You might also advocate for a ban in your own town. 

by Kezia Bacon 

October 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Noteworthy North River Ships

The Beaver, one of the ships involved in the Boston Tea Party, was built on the North River.

The North River today is so serene: it can be difficult to imagine that it was once a booming center of industry. Beginning in the mid-1600s and continuing long into the 19^thcentury, this 12-mile waterway was home to a total of 24 shipyards. Between 1645 and 1871, more than 1,000 vessels were constructed along the river in Hanover, Pembroke, Marshfield, Norwell and Scituate. 

The shipbuilding industry provided jobs for all sorts of craftsmen – carpenters, caulkers, liners, sailmakers, and so on, -- as well as sawmill operators to provide lumber, and pilots to maneuver the ships downstream to the ocean – a complicated process that often took a full week. Vessels were commissioned by such entities as the US Navy, British trade companies, and whaling fleets from Nantucket, New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard. 

If you’re interested in the histories of the North River shipyards and the vessels constructed there, check out L. Vernon Briggs’ book, History of Shipbuilding on the North River, which is available in most of our local libraries. In the meantime, I’ve compiled some basic facts about some of the more famous ships.

The Beaver: One of the ships involved in the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) was The Beaver, a whaler constructed by Ichabod Thomas at the Brick Kiln Shipyard in Pembroke. Commissioned by the prominent Rotch family of Nantucket, it measured 85 feet in length, with an almost 24 foot beam, and a draft of only nine feet, to accommodate Nantucket’s shallow harbor. Captained by Hezekiah Coffin, the Beaver made its maiden voyage from Nantucket to London to deliver whale oil. As was customary, it took on a different cargo for its return, in this case some fine English furniture as well as 112 chests of tea from the British East India Company. After spending two weeks in quarantine in Boston Harbor, due to a case of smallpox on board, it finally docked at Griffin’s Wharf on December 15, 1773. The next day, The Sons of Liberty, a group of more than 100 men from all walks of life, led by Samuel Adams, boarded the Beaver, as well as two other ships loaded with tea -- the Dartmouth and The Eleanor. Being careful not to damage the ships, they smashed open 340 chests of tea (approximately 92,000 lbs.) and dropped them into the harbor, a significant act of protest in what would become the American Revolution. The Beaver returned to the whaling industry but was sold shortly thereafter.

Further reading:Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party & the Making of America by Benjamin Carp

The Columbia: It is possible that the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe was constructed on the North River. Some say the ship was actually built in Plymouth, but that its keel was constructed here. But local history claims that James Briggs constructed the three- masted ship at Hobart’s Landing in Norwell in 1773. It was 83 feet long, with a 24-foot beam and an 11-foot draft. Owned by John Kendrick or Joseph Barrell, its captain was Robert Gray. Gray was active in the gold and silver trade with China. However when he found that European traders were consistently outbidding him, he began instead to purchase fur in the Pacific Northwest. In 1792, he observed the Columbia River near what is now Portland, Oregon, and named it after his ship. The Columbia River became a major venue for the fur trade. The ship itself was decommissioned for salvage in 1806.

Further reading: Columbia’s River: The Voyages of Robert Gray by J. Richard Nokes

The Essex– Another disputed North River vessel was whaleship Essex. Local records indicate that it was built in 1796 on the North River, with no exact location provided. However the town of Amesbury on the North Shore makes a similar claim. The ship – which was 87 feet long, with a 24-foot beam and 12-foot draft -- was launched in 1799; in 1804, Nantucket merchants purchased it in Salem. In August 1819, George Pollard Jr. was its commander when it departed Nantucket for the South Pacific. On November 20^thof that same year, the captain spotted a school of whales and set off in pursuit. A large sperm whale struck the ship forcefully with its head, knocking those on board off their feet. Soon after the same whale struck again, this time completely staving in the ship’s bow. The 20-man crew quickly gathered equipment, food and water, and disembarked to 3 smaller boats, then watched while the Essex sank. What followed was an ordeal that included dehydration, starvation, taking refuge on a small tropical island, and eventually cannibalism. Two men survived. If this sounds familiar, it might be because it served as the inspiration for Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. 

Further reading: In The Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

The Globe– A local ship with an equally remarkable story, The Globe was constructed at Wanton Shipyard in Norwell in 1815. With two decks and three masts, the ship measured 94 feet in length, with a beam of 26 feet. A successful whaler, it is renowned as being the first ship to bring 2000 barrels of sperm oil into the United States. But The Globe is best known for a gruesome mutiny in 1824. The ship was owned by C. Mitchell & Co., and commanded by Thomas Worth. After sailing from Nantucket on December 20, 1822, it arrived in the Sandwich Islands in the South Pacific on May 1, 1823, then continued to Hawaii and Japan. By then, six of the 21-man crew had deserted. The Globe continued south toward Fanning Island. In January 1824 ,after an incident during which a crewman was whipped as punishment, crewmen Samuel Comstock and Silas Payne murdered the captain as well as the first and second mates, then threw their bodies overboard. Not daring to go to port for fear of repercussions, they ran the ship aground on Mili Atoll, with a plan to take the provisions, strip the ship, and burn it, and then take up residence on the island. But there was more trouble to come. Comstock was killed by his shipmates. Crewman Gilbert Smith took charge of the ship and escaped by night with five other men, leaving the others behind. When The Globe arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, in June, the American Consul took possession of it, and sent it back to Nantucket. Most of the men remaining on Mili Atoll were killed by the natives, but two survived and were rescued after 22 months. The ship was sold for salvage in 1828.

Further reading:Demon of the Waters by Gregory Gibson.

by Kezia Bacon

September 2018 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 22+ years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

A view of the Brick Kiln Shipyard in Pembroke.

A Pontoon Boat Cruise on the North River

Looking downstream from the bow of the pontoon boat.

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If you’re reading this article, you are probably aware of the North and South Rivers -- two beautiful, healthy, tidal waterways whose watershed comprises much of the South Shore. Chances are, you’ve also spent some time there – perhaps by boat, or with a canoe, kayak or paddle board, or by walking in one of the numerous conservation areas that border them.

On the other hand, maybe you haven’t. Whether paddling trips and hikes aren’t your thing, or you have other reasons for not being able to access the rivers, I have good news to share with you. There’s another option! The North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) now offers Pontoon Boat Cruises.

A pontoon boat is a motorized boat with a wide, flat deck, and plenty of room for upright seating. The deck is supported by two or three metal tubes (or pontoons), which provide flotation. While not the most aerodynamic, a pontoon boat moves quickly and deftly enough to provide a smooth, steady ride. The NSRWA’s boat – donated by a Marshfield family -- has comfortable bench seats in both the sun and the shade, all with a terrific view. Plus there’s no climbing – from the dock, you walk straight on and off the vessel. This is a very different experience from a kayak or a canoe.

Throughout the boating season (late spring til mid-autumn) NSRWA offers pontoon boat cruises several times per month. Each includes a licensed boat captain and a tour guide. You can choose the “Nature and History” themed cruise or just “Nature.” “Fall Foliage” and “River Wildlife” are other options. You can also charter your own.

In August, I signed up for one of the Nature and History-themed cruises. After registering online, I received my instructions, so I knew exactly where to park and what to bring. At 10:00am, I met my captain, guide, and fellow participants at Roht Marine, on the North River, on the Marshfield-Scituate line (Route 3A). After a brief safety overview, we were off.

I already knew a fair amount about the history of the North and South Rivers, but on the tour, I learned quite a bit more! Our guide explained how our region has changed since the last ice age – and how the rivers were formed. He discussed the first European settlers in our area and the ways in which they interacted with the native tribes who had been here for years. He explained salt marsh haying, and packet ships, and gave an overview of the local shipbuilding industry. He also discussed the ecology of the salt marsh, and pointed out some of the wildlife that make their home there. We saw marsh wrens, red tail hawks and osprey, and kept an eye out for bald eagles (they nest nearby.) There were maps and other visual aids to enhance the presentation, plus we were encouraged to “Ask anything.”

After an hour moving steadily upstream through gorgeous landscapes, we reached the Route 3 Bridge in Pembroke. The captain turned the boat around, and for most of our journey back to the starting point, we were encouraged to admire the view. This led to casual conversations among the participants and plenty more insights from the guide.

The 2-hour tour was extremely enjoyable. Time passed quickly. I found myself wanting to return, soon, with various friends and family members, especially those who aren’t inclined to experience the rivers in other ways. A Pontoon Boat Cruise would be a lovely way to mark a special occasion – a birthday or anniversary, for example, or a retirement. At $50 per person (for NSRWA members, $75 for non-members) it’s a bit of an investment, but well worth the cost.

If you’re interested in joining a Pontoon Boat Cruise, there are a number of them coming up this fall – nearly every weekend through the end of October. Most go upriver through Marshfield and Norwell, but some go downstream to The Spit. Visit nsrwa.org for details and to register.

by Kezia Bacon

August 2017

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

A view from the stern of the pontoon boat.

7+ Walking Places for 2017

A view of Long Tom Pond at the Hoyt Hall Preserve in Marshfield.

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Every January, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association sponsors a New Year’s Day Walk. Typically this annual event -- which is free and open to the public -- showcases a recently acquired conservation area on the South Shore. But occasionally the event offers access to a privately owned property within the watershed. The 2017 walk is one of those occasions.

This year’s event, which begins at 1pm on Sunday January 1^st, takes place at the Cardinal Cushing Centers in Hanover (405 Washington Street). Participants will follow trails through 100 acres of privately owned woodland to the Third Herring Brook, a rare opportunity to view the dam removal project that is currently in progress. For more information, visit www.nsrwa.org.

Whether or not NSRWA’s New Year’s Day Walk fits into your schedule, you may be looking for other places to take a stroll in 2017. We are fortunate, here on the South Shore, to have access to an abundance of nature preserves. Chances are, if walking in the woods is the type of thing you enjoy, you’re already familiar with World’s End in Hingham and the Norris Reservation in Norwell, local favorites that are both managed by The Trustees. You probably know the Mass Audubon properties too – Daniel Webster and North River Wildlife Sanctuaries, both in Marshfield.

What follows is a list of a few other lesser-known properties worthy of your attention. All are open to the public, generally from dawn until dusk. Before you go, visit the manager’s website to download a trail map.

• Hoyt-Hall Preserve - Careswell Street/Route 139, Marshfield. This recently-opened preserve features several walking trails around Long Tom Pond and through 123 acres of woods, freshwater marsh and red cedar swamp, with links to the Old Colony Railroad and the Historic Winslow House. Managed by The Wildlands Trust.

• Rockland Town Forest – North Avenue, Rockland. A small (39.5 acres) but truly special place to stretch one’s legs, the Rockland Town Forest’s narrow paths, boardwalks and bridges lead visitors through the wetlands that surround French Stream. This place is especially enchanting in the spring and summer when the trees and shrubs are leafy and green.

• North Hill Marsh - Mayflower Street, Duxbury. A network of walking trails through pine and oak woodlands takes you all the way around the freshwater marsh and reservoir, with plenty of interesting vantage points. These 943 acres, managed by Mass Audubon and Duxbury Conservation, are prime territory for birding and other wildlife observation.

• Wildcat Conservation Area – Circuit Street, Norwell. Over 100 quiet acres, with trails through the woods, and the occasional bench on which to pause and reflect. The narrow trails lead you past old stone walls and along historic Wildcat Hill. Managed by Norwell Conservation.

• Weir River Farm and Turkey Hill – Turkey Hill Lane, Hingham.  Catch a glimpse of the agricultural landscape of days past on these 75 hilltop acres. The view of Boston Harbor is stunning. Plus there are pastures, woodland trails, and a working barnyard, with additional trails that link to Whitney & Thayer Woods. Managed by The Trustees.

• Bates Lane Conservation Area – Clapp Road, Scituate. This property and its surroundings comprise over 400 acres of contiguous conservation land in the West End of Scituate, most of it former farmland. A network of well-marked and well-tended trails leads through the woods, past glacial erratics and across small streams. Managed by Scituate Conservation.

• Lansing Bennett Forest – Union Bridge Road, Duxbury. This historic property was once home to a sawmill and later a trout farm. Today it is 344 acres of mostly wooded upland, with glacial erratics and kettle holes, plus boardwalks that traverse the red cedar swamp that borders Phillips Brook. Managed by Duxbury Conservation.

by Kezia Bacon

December 2016

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Help Protect A Gem In Scituate

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Recently I was introduced some open space lands in Scituate’s West End, and I’m so pleased to make their acquaintance! Thanks to the dedication of a small group of conservation-minded citizens, there are now more than 400 acres of land preserved in this quiet corner of the town. Clustered around Bates Lane, off Thomas Clapp Road, these parcels represent years of diligence and collaboration between the Town of Scituate, its Community Preservation Committee, private citizens, and advocates for land conservation and the protection of the public water supply. Since 1998, the non-profit Maxwell Conservation Trust has been at the forefront of these efforts.

In the 1990s, Scituate residents Wayne and Cynde Robbins founded the Maxwell Conservation Trust (which is named after the couple’s golden retriever). Its mission, as stated on its informative website, is “to promote and assist in the conservation, preservation and responsible development of our natural and land resources including open spaces for recreation, wildlife, public water supply and forestry protection.” Since its inception, the Trust has helped to add a total of 325 acres to Scituate’s array of public lands.

On April 14^th, the Town of Scituate will have the opportunity to vote on the acquisition of two additional parcels of land. This final purchase, if it passes, will mark the successful conclusion of the 14-year effort. To date, all related land acquisitions have been approved unanimously by Town Meeting.

Back in the 1990s, it became clear that a number of large land parcels in Scituate’s West End were being eyed for development. Most of the properties were adjacent to the 95-acre Bates Lane Conservation Area. At the time, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was just getting started. A landowner wanted to sell 70 acres to the town for conservation and water protection, but the CPC had not yet accumulated sufficient funds to justify such a purchase. That’s when the Maxwell Trust stepped in, offering to buy the land and hold it in trust until the town was ready to complete the purchase. The Town of Scituate purchased 44 acres in 2002, and that same year, the Trust purchased the remaining 26. Since then, thanks to the efforts of the Maxwell Trust, eight additional properties have been acquired in the area.

As the members of the Maxwell Trust begin to scale back their efforts, they are hopeful that the town will now complete this project and complete the purchase agreed upon years ago. They cost is just shy of $390,000 – the same price the Trust paid in 2002.

Collectively the open space parcels in Scituate’s West End are known as the Bates Lane Conservation Area. I’d been hearing about them for quite some time, and finally in mid-March I had the opportunity to visit.

There are presently two parking areas for the Bates Lane Conservation Area. One is on Clapp Road, diagonally across the street from the intersection with Bates Lane. The other is at the Mount Hope Improvement Society building at the corner of Cedar Street and Clapp Road. The trailheads accessible from both parking areas feature kiosks with maps.

The trails are extensive and well-marked. Look for painted wooden markers on the trees at all major intersections. My guides led me along every path on the property – the Carl Pipes Trail, as well as the Litchfield, the Horse, the Moncy and the Maxwell. It took us about two hours to see them all. Trail improvements as well as additional parking areas are already funded and should be completed this year.

The lands themselves are pleasantly diverse. There is a lot of flat, recent-growth forest covering what was once farmland, with plenty of old stone walls. There are swampy areas where we saw skunk cabbage beginning to emerge (an early sign of spring!). There are little hollows featuring streams and bridges, plus lots of ferns and moss, as well as the occasional high hill. Glacial erratics (aka really large boulders) dot the landscape, and here and there you’ll even find a wooden bench where you can pause to rest, or just to listen to the sounds of the woods around you. The well-planned network of trails offers numerous options for exploring the property: you could spend the whole morning there, or for a shorter visit, check out one or two trails at a time.

Nature enthusiasts of the South Shore, there’s a good chance you haven’t yet experienced the Bates Lane Conservation Area – it’s one of those unassuming, “best kept secret” types of places, a true gem. I strongly recommend that you add it to your To Do list for this year. You won’t be disappointed.

Scituate residents, please consider attending Town Meeting on April 14th and voting in favor of the acquisition of these land parcels!

For more information, visit www.maxwellconservationtrust.org

by Kezia Bacon

March 2016

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Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com