Morristown Town Forest · The Morristown Town Forest is comprised of 340 ... Town Road 43....
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The Morristown Town Forest is comprised of 340 acres of woodland in the westerly part of the town. It is a portion of the former Town of Sterling, which was dissolved by the State Legislature in 1856. Historically the land experienced ongoing transfers of ownership with a maximum residency of six families in the late 1800s. Subsistence farming with sugaring and logging were the main activities. Two farms persisted into the mid-1950s. With the dissolution of the Town of Sterling it is difficult to determine any exact date of early settlement, but indications are that the area was occupied by the early 1800s. A review of available early land records shows that the area had many transfers, with some short term and others longer; in many cases the land transfers were from parents to sons. There is no doubt that life was hard in this remote area, and by the early 1900s residents moved on. In addition to the remoteness, other reasons included the change of dairy practices, inaccessibility from schools, and the fact that the woodland was no doubt cut off. By the 1950s two families remained on the parcel. It was in the mid-1950s that the last residents moved away. The cause appeared to be a washout of Town Road 43. According to the history of Morristown written by Bob Hagerman, the “families were living in what were already difficult circumstances.” Rather than rebuild the road, the selectmen bought the two farms and arranged for the families to be resettled elsewhere. These two purchases were done in 1958, with the third and final purchase in 1959. The State of Vermont allows for towns to establish town forests, and the 1958 purchase was so designated in the same year. The 1959 purchase was added following its purchase. Activity on the new Town Forest also started promptly with the planting of trees under the cost share program available through the former “Soil Bank Program.” A total of 28 acres were planted over a three-year period from 1958 to 1960. In the 1970s the existing roads were designated, as they are now for snowmobile use, and the remaining house was used for a period as a snowmobile clubhouse. The conifer plantations established in 1958–60 were thinned starting in 2013 and logging was extended to the hardwood area on the easterly boundary. In 2015 the easterly portion of Town Highway 43 was discontinued and became a trail. A survey of the 340 acres in 2012 provided a new map. Additional signage for the trail and the cellar holes at the former farm sites is being planned. The Morristown Conservation Commission will continue to plan and implement further improvements to the forest. Morristown Town Forest Trail Map, Guide, and History Morristown Conservation Commission
Transcript of Morristown Town Forest · The Morristown Town Forest is comprised of 340 ... Town Road 43....
The Morristown Town Forest is comprised of 340 acres of woodland in the westerly part of the town. It is a portion of the former Town of Sterling, which was dissolved by the State Legislature in 1856. Historically the land experienced ongoing transfers of ownership with a maximum residency of six families in the late 1800s. Subsistence farming with sugaring and logging were the main activities. Two farms persisted into the mid-1950s.
With the dissolution of the Town of Sterling it is difficult to determine any exact date of early settlement, but indications are that the area was occupied by the early 1800s. A review of available early land records shows that the area had many transfers, with some short term and others longer; in many cases the land transfers were from parents to sons.
There is no doubt that life was hard in this remote area, and by the early 1900s residents moved on. In addition to the remoteness, other reasons included the change of dairy practices, inaccessibility from schools, and the fact that the woodland was no doubt cut off. By the 1950s two families remained on the parcel.
It was in the mid-1950s that the last residents moved away. The cause appeared to be a washout of Town Road 43. According to the history of
Morristown written by Bob Hagerman, the “families were living in what were already difficult circumstances.” Rather than rebuild the road, the selectmen bought the two farms and arranged for the families to be resettled elsewhere. These two purchases were done in 1958, with the third and final purchase in 1959.
The State of Vermont allows for towns to establish town forests, and the 1958 purchase was so designated in the same year. The 1959 purchase was added following its purchase. Activity on the new Town Forest also started promptly with the planting of trees under the cost share program available through the former “Soil Bank Program.” A total of 28 acres were planted over a three-year period from 1958 to 1960. In the 1970s the existing roads were designated, as they are now for snowmobile use, and the remaining house was used for a period as a snowmobile clubhouse.
The conifer plantations established in 1958–60 were thinned starting in 2013 and logging was extended to the hardwood area on the easterly boundary. In 2015 the easterly portion of Town Highway 43 was discontinued and became a trail. A survey of the 340 acres in 2012 provided a new map. Additional signage for the trail and the cellar holes at the former farm sites is being planned.
The Morristown Conservation Commission will continue to plan and implement further improvements to the forest.
MorristownTown Forest Trail Map, Guide, and History
Morristown Conservation Commission
