From Drovers to Trail Blazers: The Story of the Creation of the Wapack Trail
New Ipswich Historical Society
This Saturday
From Drovers to Trail Blazers: The Story of the Creation of the Wapack Trail
Presenter Larry Anderson
Saturday, June 24, 2023 - 1:30 p.m.
New Ipswich Congregational Church
(156 Main Street)
A hundred years ago, two local farmers and former cattle drovers entered the forefront of the long distance trails movement by creating the Wapack Trail. Marion Buck and Frank Robbins were out working on Robbins’ farm when they were approached by Albert Annett with the idea of creating a trail over land they knew well, the ridgeline between North Pack and Mt. Watatic. The trail was soon publicized in the Boston papers, and by the following year, Frank and Marion were building the Wapack Lodge to provide rooms and meals to the many hikers. The AMC soon got involved, improved the trail for skiing, and organized skiing and hiking trips along the 21.5-mile trail.that runs north-south over a half-dozen mountains from Mt. Watatic in Ashburnham, MA to North Pack Monadnock in Greenfield, NH. According to the New England Ski Museum, the Wapack Trail is the earliest known trail maintained for skiing in the U.S. (from Voice of the Wapack Spring/Summer 2023)
Larry Anderson is a freelance writer and the biographer of the Appalachian Trail creator, Benton MacKaye, who was a frequent visitor at the Wapack Lodge. Anderson’s talk will focus on the pioneering work of Frank Robbins of Rindge and Marion Davis of New Ipswich in blazing the trail and their significance in the growing national movement to create long-distance hiking trails. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact info@wapack.org or info@newipswichhistoricalsociety.org.
James Roger diary entry
19th June 1912
Fair and warm; wind northwest. David at Mrs. Parker’s. I raked grass, staked tomatoes and went to Graduation exercises at the Academy and went to the Reception at night. Met Mrs. Wilbur Bowers from Weymouth. Got p.c. from May saying she was coming tomorrow.
Was this also the Marion Davis who worked as the chef and supervisor in the kitchen of Central School in New Ipswich? If so, she was a formidable, rather heroic woman.
If Marion Davis was displeased with you as a student in Central School's cafeteria, you got hauled into the kitchen to receive a dressing down. Even if you weren't to blame but were unfairly accused, you just hung your head and assumed a sheepish look and took what was coming to you. She wasn't mean but she maintained good law and order from the time of pre-luncheon prayers through dessert. Salt of the Earth!