Great essay as always. Next time you are in the Needham Town Forest, don't miss the magic of Martini Junction. Bring a kid or find your inner kid. Follow the tiny painted bird houses nailed up on tree trunks to guide you to a world of train tracks, trains, and toys. Look carefully for whimsical structures hugging the path, perched up on rocks and hiding in crevasses. Let your imagination go wild as you rearrange them to tell your story. Hunt for fun QR codes for background information.
You led me down a rabbit hole/memory with this essay. I grew up in Wellesley and Rosemary Lake sounded familiar. It turned out that while I was aware of its location (not far from the town recycling center) and had been near it, it wasn't the memory I triggered. That was a memory of learning about nearby Sabrina Lake and the Baker Estate.
From Wiki: In the late 1860s William Emerson Baker moved to Needham. A notably wealthy man due to his having improved the mechanical sewing machine, Baker assembled a parcel of land exceeding 800 acres (3.2 km2) and named it Ridge Hill Farm.[7] He built two man made lakes on his property, including Sabrina lake near present-day Locust Lane. Baker turned part of his property into an amusement park with exotic animals, tunnels, trick floors and mirrors. In 1888 he built a sizable hotel, near the intersection of present-day Whitman Road and Charles River Street, called the Hotel Wellesley which had a capacity of over 300 guests. The hotel burned to the ground on December 19, 1891.
Thanks for this essay. You've captured my sentiments. I felt as though I was in the movie On The Beach. But what a surprise! You show us how to deal with the maniac's railings by stepping outside. Going for walk. Thanks again for a great column!
Take the Providence line train all the way to the end at Wickford Junction. Walk 0.7 mile east on 10 Rod Road to Ryan Park. Lots of trails and a large troll.
Love your writing as always. Thanks for capturing and sharing the mutual feeling of apocalyptic doom. My self-medication is going to the wood fired sauna.
Great essay as always. Next time you are in the Needham Town Forest, don't miss the magic of Martini Junction. Bring a kid or find your inner kid. Follow the tiny painted bird houses nailed up on tree trunks to guide you to a world of train tracks, trains, and toys. Look carefully for whimsical structures hugging the path, perched up on rocks and hiding in crevasses. Let your imagination go wild as you rearrange them to tell your story. Hunt for fun QR codes for background information.
You led me down a rabbit hole/memory with this essay. I grew up in Wellesley and Rosemary Lake sounded familiar. It turned out that while I was aware of its location (not far from the town recycling center) and had been near it, it wasn't the memory I triggered. That was a memory of learning about nearby Sabrina Lake and the Baker Estate.
From Wiki: In the late 1860s William Emerson Baker moved to Needham. A notably wealthy man due to his having improved the mechanical sewing machine, Baker assembled a parcel of land exceeding 800 acres (3.2 km2) and named it Ridge Hill Farm.[7] He built two man made lakes on his property, including Sabrina lake near present-day Locust Lane. Baker turned part of his property into an amusement park with exotic animals, tunnels, trick floors and mirrors. In 1888 he built a sizable hotel, near the intersection of present-day Whitman Road and Charles River Street, called the Hotel Wellesley which had a capacity of over 300 guests. The hotel burned to the ground on December 19, 1891.
https://backsideofamerica.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-fabulous-baker-estate.html
Thanks for linking to my blog post! I'm wondering, Miles, whether you saw Martini Junction while you were in Needham Town Forest: https://backsideofamerica.blogspot.com/2013/01/whimsical-woodlands.html
Miles,
Thanks for this essay. You've captured my sentiments. I felt as though I was in the movie On The Beach. But what a surprise! You show us how to deal with the maniac's railings by stepping outside. Going for walk. Thanks again for a great column!
Take the Providence line train all the way to the end at Wickford Junction. Walk 0.7 mile east on 10 Rod Road to Ryan Park. Lots of trails and a large troll.
Love your writing as always. Thanks for capturing and sharing the mutual feeling of apocalyptic doom. My self-medication is going to the wood fired sauna.