Paul’s bridge crosses the Neponset River at the foot of Fowl Meadow near Brush Hill Road, connecting Milton with Boston. Early wooden incarnations of the bridge date back to 1700 and were used mainly by local farmers. It was named after the Paul family who ran a farm nearby. In 1849, the towns of Milton... Continue Reading →
At the top of Little Blue Hill, you can see right across to Great Blue Hill. But far more interesting to me is how the deer paths wind their way up to the top, where this silken grass grows and the views are spectacular. I guess the deer like to take stock of the natural... Continue Reading →
The Neponset River, which begins in Foxboro and runs out to the Atlantic by way of the Milton and Dorchester salt marshes, is home to a number of American “firsts,” although mostly of an industrial nature. In 1634, these waters ground the first mill-ground corn in New England at a gristmill established by Israel Stoughton.... Continue Reading →
Paper Birch are one of the more beautiful trees native to the Blue Hills Reservation. These trees reach 70 feet or so and are characterized by their peeling, multi-colored bark. The native americans chose these trees to make their famous birch-bark canoes. They stretched the stripped bark over frames of Northern White Cedar, sewing it... Continue Reading →
Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.... Continue Reading →
Blue Hills Reservation includes a number of swamps bordering its ponds and rivers. They provide a critical sponge-like service, absorbing heavy rainfalls and preventing flooding in the bigger bodies of water. All swamps actually represent a snapshot in the natural transition between water and land. Plants, animals, and insects grow and die each year. This... Continue Reading →
Fowl Meadow is a buffer of wetland, tall grass, and forest on either side of the Neponset River, stretching from Paul's Bridge in Milton to Canton. It represents the largest wetland and floodplain areas in the Neponset River basin and has been designated a National Enviornmental Study Area by the National Park Service. Roughly 2330... Continue Reading →
This old road that runs between two rows of mature sugar maples once belonged to a farming family dating back to colonial days. The farm was eventually bequeathed to the state and is now part of the Blue Hills Reservation. In a story that has come full circle, a portion of the farm is now... Continue Reading →
According to a 1904 field guide of Blue Hills, the native American name for this pond was Hoosicwhisick. Ralph Houghton, an Englishman, who apparently fought under Cromwell against the king, settled in this spot under the shadow of the Great Blue Hill. His descendants occupied the old homestead until it became a part of the... Continue Reading →
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