Along the Lewis Trail, and throughout much of New England, lies a vast network of stone walls dating back hundreds of years to the early agricultural traditions of New England. These remnants of colonial life can best be seen during the fall and winter months as plants lose their foliage.
Photo: Classic historic fieldstone wall, also called the farmer’s wall (from the Stone wall initiative).
Impressive in their scale and quality, these rock walls were created out of necessity by farmers all across the northeast. After years of glacial activity in the area, ablation, or melt out, left rocks stuck within the ice sheet. The rocks were eventually deposited on the rich lodgement till.
These rocks were ideal for construction because they were abundant and large. They were also angular, which made them easy to carry.
As years went on and New England attracted more settlers, more land was cleared for agriculture. As a result, the soil began to freeze deeper, leading to frost heaving. Frost heaving forced loose stones to the surface as the soil expandeds during cold months. At the end of winter, farmers often had to clear their land of stones to prepare for the growing season.
The period from 1775 to 1825 is referred to as the "golden age of stone wall building." Over 380,000 kilometers (236,121 miles) of stone walls were built during that span, enough wall to reach the moon! Construction of a wall often spanned generations. One generation would carry the stones to the edge of the field, and the next would build the actual wall.
If you look to the right, you will see a dead cedar and a pile of small rocks; both provide a clue about the landscape during previous generations. Cedars grow in open fields and are slow to decay. With the location of this cedar, combined with the small pile of rocks that most likely resulted from frost heaving, it becomes clear that this land was previously cleared and used for farming.
Photo: Dead cedar, evidence of a once open agricultural field, photographed by Robert Pease.
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