Stonewalls & Old Roads

[The Rebel]

I’ve been hiking several old abandoned roads in the woods. They are on the 1867 maps and no houses are shown to be along them. Some of these roads might be 6 miles long.

The old roads in some places are boarded by stonewalls to the left & right, which I figure were put there to help guide travelers by letting them know they were on the main road & not on some side road. In other places the border walls just end and the road continues. When I see the areas with the border walls I feel like I’m coming into an area where a cellar hole might be but I do not see any possible evidence of one, even when there is a definite opening in the wall that says to me come on in.

When looking at the aerial satellite maps I also see stonewalls go off in all directions that are squared off so these must have been pens, grazing fields…etc..

What I can’t figure out is why out in the middle of nowhere they spent so much time squaring these areas off. In my mind there has to be a cellar hole someplace that these squared off areas belonged to.

Love to hear some of your thoughts on the subject.

Thanks in advance,
Roger

 

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[Red James Cash]

Most of the areas where you see old stone walls in new england were pasture and crop growing land at one time.It was the easiest thing to do with all the rocks and it saved having to build fences to keep the livestock in.Nobody built the walls to guide the traveler,it just looks that way.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Most of the areas where you see old stone walls in new england were pasture and crop growing land at one time.It was the easiest thing to do with all the rocks and it saved having to build fences to keep the livestock in.Nobody built the walls to guide the traveler,it just looks that way.

That makes sense, such is the case in Ireland . It's interesting to fly over and see for sure.

 

[Red James Cash]

Excellent choice of pictures you have there

 

[CoilyGirl]

Excellent choice of pictures you have there

Why thank you,lol!

 

[Red James Cash]

Put your minuteman picture back,show your patriotism

 

[CoilyGirl]

Put your minuteman picture back,show your patriotism

Alrighty then!

 

[Red James Cash]

A true american

 

[CoilyGirl]

We just got back from Boston last month and that area really does make you proud to be an American and realize how far we have come as a nation to gain our freedom.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Very true.

 

[AnnieF]

I've lately been doing a LOT of reading re: stone walls and one of the things I discovered is they were usually constructed from the middle out (meaning the walls were put up equidistant from the middle from the property lines at the time), which makes sense when you think about it, since hauling rocks ain't no easy affair, esp. back then. Also, many of them now border woods. Those woods may not have been there 100 years ago, though it seems hard to imagine. Look for the age of the trees, if you can. If they are fairly young, you may really be looking at a field, or an old homesite - which might have a cellar hole or some other wonderful thing to hunt. I'm only a few months into this, but I'm told that snow actually helps you "see" the land use better... Where there are depressions there may be the clue to a well worn walking path, or outhouse, etc.

 

[dougofpa]

I've lately been doing a LOT of reading re: stone walls and one of the things I discovered is they were usually constructed from the middle out (meaning the walls were put up equidistant from the middle from the property lines at the time), which makes sense when you think about it, since hauling rocks ain't no easy affair, esp. back then. Also, many of them now border woods. Those woods may not have been there 100 years ago, though it seems hard to imagine. Look for the age of the trees, if you can. If they are fairly young, you may really be looking at a field, or an old homesite - which might have a cellar hole or some other wonderful thing to hunt. I'm only a few months into this, but I'm told that snow actually helps you "see" the land use better... Where there are depressions there may be the clue to a well worn walking path, or outhouse, etc.

Awww....congrats young member....you are slowly learning how to read the woods....most people just walk through the woods without even seeing those things....keep it up and you'll keep learning......if it doesn't look right....it was most likely made by man.

 

[TreasureWriter]

Most stone walls throughout New England were constructed as a result of clearing fields for planting. The entire North-East is stone and you'll find these walls in every community running in some cases for miles. Then during the Civil War, Southern prisoners were sent North and put to work clearing fields and building stone walls. You'll find lots of stone walls in any agricultural area including throughout the middle Atlantic States. Generally if you search hard enough you'll stumble upon an old foundation here and there although most 17th & 18th century homes didn't have cellars just rubble footings and stone foundations that were usually scavenged for other homes later on. I look for depressions in the ground. Cattle also will wear a good "track" into the earth on their way to and from the barn and the barn is usually in close proximity to the house. Early homesteads actually had the barns attached to the homes.

 

[AnnieF]

*blush* thank you dougofpa

 

[Connecticut Sam]

#14 is very true and I saw many stone walls in New England. Good luck.

 

[maxpower]

i also look for trees and shrubs and flowers that seem to be out of the ordinary -- apples trees lilac bushes flowers like tulips crocus or daffodils rosebushes beech trees hops plants that would tend to be planted around homesteads that have long been gone but the plants remain.

 

[Tnmountains]

If you can get the old forestry topo maps they will show all the old historical roads through the mountains with dashes for roads and a home site with a dot. I have located many old roads this way. I deal a lot in raw land and sometimes we locate these old roads off maps to gain easements to land locked property. Many times there will be terraces of rock walls along and down a mountain where they farmed. Pretty neat stuff. The homesites are best located like they mentioned by jonquils or the periwinkle . Non indigenous plants.
Good post Rebel.
HH
TnMtns

 

[smokeythecat]

Look for daffodils and other plants gone native. And LOOK IN THE ROAD BED. Found 2 cannon balls that way once.

 

[Red James Cash]

Dont forget the lilac bushes in out of the way places

 

[Tnmountains]

Thats right and I have seen a type of lily kinda like what is in my yard. Of course around here they had gardens by the ole whiskey stills. I wish I had of photographed whiskey holler before kids trashed it.