Weekly Update

Greetings from spooky Easton!  I wish all the white stuff surrounding me today were nothing more than an apparition, but alas, it isn't.  More than 3" of snow accumulated by late yesterday afternoon, and the heavy, wet stuff has tree branches hanging low.  I believe we broke a record for such a large snowfall this early in the season.  But, wait!  This is New England after all, and today's temps in the 40's will make much of this disappear.


Don't forget to turn your clocks BACK one hour tonight, or you'll be one hour early for everything tomorrow!

History is full of legends and folklore.  So here is one that is appropriate for today.

Bay Road can be a lonely place at night.  Once rush hour passes, and night settles in, the oldest road in Easton becomes a bit magical.  Darkness permeates the atmosphere.  A late night drive might get you a glimpse of a fox or coyote crossing the road.  If you are really lucky, you might catch sight of a bobcat.  Otherwise, the stillness of the night can be unnerving.

One such dark and still night some years ago, one man saw a sight that would not be soon forgotten.  Driving along Bay Road late at night, near Lincoln Street, he and a few family members in the car with him passed by a solitary figure slowly walking on the roadside.  At first they didn't pay much attention, but with the late hour, they quickly had thoughts of going back to offer the poor soul a ride.  Turning around their car near Randall Street, they went to the place where they expected to see the person walking.  He was nowhere to be found.  A quick ride on Lincoln Street and Allen Road proved fruitless in trying to locate the man.  Once they stopped for a moment to get their thoughts together, one of the people in the car noted that he had been dressed in old clothing - very old, in fact.  The lone figure was not just walking, he was marching - in a Revolutionary War era outfit!  Though the friend and his family searched a little while longer, no trace of the man was found.  They never saw him again.

A few years later, another small group of people in their car sighted this same fellow, dressed as a soldier, walking on Bay Road very near the entrance to Borderland State Park.  They had a similar experience, turning their car immediately around, and not being able to find the man.  In fact, there are at least three instances of this being reported over the years.

This morning, at dawn, I went to this location and took the attached photo - snow and all - of the area in question.  I took the photo looking down Bay Road northerly from Randall Street, in the same area as the old soldier has been sighted.  At night, it is a quiet place, with the few houses in the area long shuttered for the evening.  A street light nearby provides some light, and casts shadows on the trees that line the road.  The light soon disappears into the woods, leaving one feeling very much alone.  Then again, perhaps you aren't!

There is some historical background for this (I knew you would be asking) that gives this at least a little credibility.  During the days of the Revolutionary War, members of Easton's West Militia Company would have been marching to answer the call to arms in either Boston or Taunton (the East Militia Company probably would have marched on what is now Washington Street).  A story survives, handed down by long-past owners of the Josiah Keith House on Bay Road near Wheaton Farm.  During the Revolution, a column of troops passed by on their way to Boston, probably about the time of the British evacuation and American occupation of the city.  It took an hour for all the troops to pass by the house, so you can imagine the sheer number of men and boys who marched the long journey to Boston.  Undoubtedly other militia units marched Bay Road as well during the war years.  Perhaps one soldier is still marching.

Hoping you have a safe week, stay well,
Frank