Moyle’s QuarryWhile it’s technically in the town of Sharon, it is also within the bounds of Borderland State Park, so worthy of a newsletter. Moyle’s Quarry is a historic landmark and the source of granite for the façade of the Canton viaduct (1835) that was built for the Boston and Providence railway. The viaduct is still in use today, providing high-speed passenger and freight service.  Canton Viaduct. It was one of those warm and dry days of perfect fall weather when I walked to the quarry. I entered the woods and the Park at the place where Northwest Trail meets Massapoag Ave. It is possible to park by the side of the road. This area is a relatively remote part of Borderland, so I was surprised to see several hikers and bikers on my walk. Probably due to the lovely weather and the fact that it was a Sunday. For the most part the woods were calm and silent, although occasionally a falling nut or darting chipmunk startled me. I took the Ridge Trail off the Northwest Trail and then followed the Quarry Loop Trail. Soon I saw the old quarry off to my left and it was clearly marked.   You can look down into the quarry from a flat green area beside the trail and walk part way around the largest cut in the earth. As you walk along the loop trail you can see scattered remains of cut or partially cut granite blocks.
According to the Sharon Historical Society the stonecutters were mostly Scottish and the other workmen Irish. Horses and oxen hauled the stone from the quarry to Massapoag Ave. and then to the railroad station near Sharon Heights. From there railroad cars took the stone to the Canton site. Stone from the quarry was also used to build some homes in Sharon. There are a few different ways to access the quarry; I entered from Massapoag but you access the trails from Mountain Road or the Visitor Center. The Borderland trail map was very helpful. If you go, I hope you enjoy the walk! Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] More Information/Links: Bi-Weekly NewsletterAmes Plantation, TennesseeThe Ames Plantation is in Grand Junction, Tennessee. Hobart C. Ames, then principal owner of the Ames Shovel and Tool Company, purchased the already standing property in 1901. Clark Moorman had acquired the property in 1824, and his widow Easther Alexander Moorman initially built a large log home on the site. The original portion of what is now known as the Ames Manor House was finished in 1847 and constructed by her son-in-law John Walker Jones.  Ames Manor. Hobart Ames enlarged and updated the original home. The Plantation became connected to the National Field Trial Championships when the event was held near Grand Junction in 1900. Ames became interested in the event and went on to serve as president of the Association for 45 years, annually hosting the bird dog championship. He held strong views on what qualities a top bird dog should have. Typically, the Hobart Ames family would spend about four months a year at the Plantation. Arriving in a private railway car, they were met by Plantation servants and driven to the Big House in a six-passenger surrey. Additionally, the plantation was known for its purebred Angus herd. Ames Plantation Beau won Grand Champion at the 1917 International Livestock Expedition in Chicago. Cotton was also grown on the Plantation. Today corn, wheat, soy, sorghum, and cotton are grown as the Plantation continues to be a working farm.  The Angus herd  Stable for the Angus Cattle, Hobart Ames’s pride & joy.
It was at Ames Plantation that Mr. Hobart Ames died in 1945. Prior to her death in 1950, Mrs. Julia Ames took action to ensure that the National Bird Dog Competition would continue to occur on the property and arranged with the University of Tennessee for the 18,600 acres to be operated by the Hobart Ames Foundation for the benefit of the University. “Thus, Ames Plantation became the largest land resource research facility in the state and is unique in that almost all the operational capital improvement funds are generated by the Foundation without expense to the taxpayers of the State of Tennessee.” (Ames Plantation brochure.) Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Sources Ames Plantation, https://www.amesplantation.org/the-plantation Brochure, Ames Plantation |