I was up in North Chatham on Route 113 below Evans Notch the other day on my way to do a hike and decided to stop by Notch View Farm. This is the big white house and fields on the left, across the street from the Stone House Road, about 6.9 miles north of the Stow Corner Store.
I stopped for a reason. My friend, the prospector Peter Samuelson, had told me about the place in a phone call in the spring after one of his frequent visits to Evans Notch.
kAm“%96J 92G6 >256 2 EC2:= DJDE6> E96C6 @? E96:C AC@A6CEJ E92E :D C62==J D@>6E9:?8] %96C6 :D A2C<:?8 2?5 2 <:@D< H:E9 >2AD] *@F @F89E E@ 8@ 4964< :E @FE]”k^Am
kAmxE D@F?565 F?:BF6] $@ E9:D (65?6D52J[ x AF==65 :?E@ E96 5C:G6H2J 3J E96 9@FD6] x 4964<65 @FE E96 H6==\DE@4<65 72C> DE2?5] $E6AA:?8 324< @FE[ 2 EC24E@C H:E9 2 >@H6C 2EE249>6?E 5C:G6? 3J 2 H@>2? 2?5 2 A:4<FA 5C:G6? 3J 2 >2? AF==65 :?E@ E96 J2C5 7C@> E96 3:8 7:6=5 ;FDE E@ E96 D@FE9] %96 @H?6CD @7 E96 AC@A6CEJ[ q64<J z?@H=6D 2?5 y:> r@@82?[ 8C66E65 >6]k^Am
kAm%96J D2:5 x H2D H6=4@>6 E@ 4964< @FE E96:C EC2:=D[ H9:49 2C6 @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4] %96J 82G6 >6 2 >2A[ 2?5 x H2D :?E6C6DE65 :? @?6 42==65 |@@D6 p==6J[ H9:49 H2D ;FDE F?56C 2 >:=6 2?5 H2D DE66A6C E92? E96 @E96CD :? E96 7=2ED]k^Am
kAm%96J DF886DE65 x A2C< 2E E96 H:?E6C EC2:=9625 @FE 3J E96 C@25 ?62C E96 9@FD6] %96 DF>>6C EC2:=9625 H2D 2E E96 D@FE9 6?5 @7 E96 3:8 7:6=5 G:D:3=6 :? E96 5:DE2?46]k^Am
kAmx DE2CE65 :? @? 2 8C2DDJ C@25 42==65 E96 {@@A %C2:= 2?5 3@C6 C:89E @? |@@D6 p==6J[ E96:C ?6H6DE EC2:= E92E H2D @?46 2 D<:556C C@25] xE H@F?5 FA E9C@F89 E96 7@C6DE[ 4C@DD65 2 3C@@< H96C6 2 ?6H 3C:586 :D 36:?8 3F:=E 2?5 A2DD65 |@@D6 q@8 @? E96 =67E 2E E96 9:89 A@:?E @7 E96 EC2:=]k^Am
kAmyFDE 27E6C E92E[ 2E 2 ;F?4E:@? H:E9 2 ?6H EC2:= 42==65 E96 q@8 qJA2DD[ E96C6 H2D 2? 2EEC24E:G6 H:56 3@2C5 3C:586 @G6C 2 DEC62> H:E9 2 “{6@A@=5 q6?49” A=2465 @? :E 724:?8 5@H?DEC62>]k^Am
kAm%96 72>@FD 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DE p=5@ {6@A@=5[ 2FE9@C @7 E96 “$2?5 r@F?EJ p=>2?24[” 56G6=@A65 E9:D D:>A=6 36?49 7@C @?6 @C EH@ A6@A=6 D:EE:?8 @FE :? ?2EFC6]k^Am
kAmpE }@E49 ':6H u2C>[ E96C6 2C6 AC@323=J `_ @7 E96D6 A=2465 :? DEC2E68:4 A=246D @? E96:C EC2:=D]k^Am
kAmx D2E @? E96 36?49 2?5 >65:E2E65 3C:67=J H:E9 E96 D@F?5 @7 E96 3C@@< 36?62E9 >6] {2E6C[ E2=<:?8 E@ q64<J z?@H=6D[ D96 D2:5 E9:D H2D 96C 72G@C:E6 DA@E E@ D:E @? E96:C =2?5[ 2?5 :? E96 DAC:?8 E96 D@F?5 @7 E96 3C@@< H2D 56=:89E7F=]k^Am
kAmx 4@?E:?F65 5@H? E96 EC2:= H9:49 H@F?5 5@H? 369:?5 E96 72C>9@FD6] {@@<:?8 E92E H2J[ z?@H=6D H2D @FE 3CFD9:?8 5@H? 96C EH@ =:89E 3C@H? }@CH68:2? u;@C5 9@CD6D]k^Am
kAmx H2?E65 E@ 4964< @FE >@C6 EC2:=D 2?5 C64@??64E65 H:E9 E96 {@@A %C2:= H9:49 962565 D@FE9 :? E96 H@@5D @? E96 7=2ED] xE H2D H:56 2?5 8C2DDJ 2?5 G6CJ A=62D2?E[ 2?5 2=E9@F89 E96 G:6H @7 E96 DFCC@F?5:?8 >@F?E2:?D H2D ?@E G:D:3=6 3642FD6 E96 EC66D DE:== 925 =62G6D[ E96C6 H2D DE:== 2 766=:?8 @7 36:?8 FA :? E96 9:89=2?5D @7 tG2?D }@E49]k^Am
kAmx 42>6 E@ 2 ;F?4E:@? 2?5 H2=<65 2 D9@CE H2J :?E@ E96 CF:?D @7 2 =2C86 D2A 9@FD6] xE H2D 3F:=E :? E96 `hb_D 2?5 H2D FD65 F?E:= E96 `he_D 3J E96 p?5C6HD 72>:=J] %96 72>:=J 925 =:G65 E96C6 7C@> `gd_ E@ a_`d[ H96? r@@82? 2?5 z?@H=6D 3@F89E E96 72C>9@FD6 2?5 =2?5]k^Am
kAmx A2DD65 ;F?4E:@?D H:E9 E9C66 @E96C H:56 EC2:=Di $=6:89 %C2:=[ p>6=:2’D %C2:= 2?5 E96 $2A w@FD6 %C2:=[ H9:49 925 366? E96 @=5 C@FE6 7C@> E96 9@FD6 E@ E96 D2A 9@FD6] %96? x C624965 E96 <:@D< 2E E96 6586 @7 E96 H@@5D 3J E96 7:6=5] xE 925 >2AD 2?5 2 5@?2E:@? 3@I] %96 EC2:=D H6C6 7C66[ 2?5 5@?2E:@?D G@=F?E2CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 DF>>6C A2C<:?8 =@E 2?5 D:8? :?5:42E:?8 2 9:<:?8 EC2:= H6C6 2?@E96C `__ 766E 24C@DD E96 7:6=5 3J E96 C@25] qFE x D=@H=J H2=<65 324< :? E96 7:6=5 2=@?8 E96 7@C6DE 6586 E@H2C5D E96 9@FD6[ $A64<=65 |@F?E2:? 2?5 q=F636CCJ |@F?E2:?D 567:?:?8 E96 9@C:K@?]k^Am
kAmq24< 3J E96 32C?[ 367@C6 =62G:?8[ z?@H=6D :?EC@5F465 >6 E@ r9C:D[ 96C >@C6 D@4:2= }@CH68:2? u;@C5 9@CD6]k^Am
kAm%96 >@C?:?8 925 366? 2 A=62DFC6] {2E6C[ x 42==65 2?5 2D<65 E96 4@FA=6 23@FE G:D:E@CD] x? E96 DF>>6C E96C6 2C6 >2?J H2=<6CD[ 2?5 :? E96 H:?E6C D?@HD9@6:?8 :D A@AF=2C E96C6 2D H6== 2D 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ D<::?8] |2?J =@42=D FD6 :E[ :?4=F5:?8 A6@A=6 7C@> $E@H 2?5 r92E92>j uCJ63FC8 2?5 r@?H2J] p $E@H 49FC49 8C@FAD DA6?5D E96 52J E96C6 6G6CJ DF>>6C]k^Am
kAmu@C 2 C6=2I:?8 52J :? E96 >@F?E2:?D[ H96C6 J@F 42? DE@A 2E 2 ;F?4E:@? @7 8C2DDJ C@25D[ D:E @? 2 {6@A@=5 36?49 2?5 6?;@J =F?49[ 4964< :E @FE]k^Am
kAmz66A :E :? >:?5 7@C D?@HD9@6:?8[ H96? E96 >@F?E2:?D 2C6 G:D:3=6 E9C@F89 32C6 EC66D]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 H2J[ E96 @H?6CD 92G6 566A C@@ED :? E96 2C62] p7E6C b_ J62CD H@C<:?8 7@C AF3=:4 D6CG:46[ r@@82? H2D 2 r@?H2J A@=:46>2? 7@C `d J62CD 367@C6 E96J C2? 2 qU2>Ajq :? $:=G6C {2<6]k^Am
kAm%96J 3@F89E E96 }@CE9 r92E92> 72C> e½ 28@] z?@H=6D :D DE:== 2 ?FCD6 2E $24@ #:G6C |65:42= 8C@FA :? r@?H2J[ H96C6 96C 52F89E6C :D 96C 3@DD] %9@F89 z?@H=6D 92D <6AE 96C >2:56? ?2>6[ E96J 92G6 366? >2CC:65 7@C ad J62CD]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.