New England Oddities

Headstone Symbols – In Hoc Signo Vince

When we walk among the many and varied grave markers anywhere in the world, we notice that while some are elaborate and complex in their imagery, others convey a message about the deceased in a simple yet significant way. This next symbol we are about to study is of a simple design – the three letters I, H and S overlaid upon one another.

The letters signify the Latin phrase ” In hoc signo vince”, which in English means: “In this sign you shall conquer”.

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Tunnel Vision

The damming of the Nashua River to create the Wachusett Reservoir at the turn of the 20th century changed the face of Clinton, a mill town in central Massachusetts, forever.

Thousands of workers were employed during the construction of the largest hand-dug dam in history, which is still considered to be a remarkable feat of engineering. Businesses, homes and churches needed to be moved when the valley was flooded, as well as the 4,000 bodies in the local cemetery. A new railroad trestle and tunnel needed to be built to accommodate the relocation of the Central Massachusetts Railroad line.

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Paper City Dinosaurs

Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a city best known for its rich and complex industrial history, and for being the birthplace of Volleyball. Harnessing the power of the Connecticut river through a dam and a series of historic canals, Holyoke grew from a small mill town to the booming “Paper City” as the twentieth century turned.

But who would have guessed that Holyoke’s historical significance predated the industrial revolution . . . by a couple hundred million years or so?

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Becket’s Abandoned Quarry

The solitary entry read simply this: “Two hundred men lost their lives while the quarry was in operation from 1850 to 1960. And a lone hiker claims to have been chased away by a angry spirit”. An abandoned quarry located in the small town of Becket, MA? Having grown up less than 30 miles away, I was surprised never to have heard of it, and more than a little intrigued.

With a little bit more digging, I came upon a very informative web page, published by The Becket Land Trust. Although there is no information in the land trust’s page corroborating or denying claims of so many deaths or any mention of paranormal activity, I was pleasantly surprised to find maps and photos of the area with a brief history of the quarry’s operation. Still I must say that the hopes of gathering some kind of evidence of paranormal activity were high. The claims that approximately two hundred workers had met their demise there, and that a hiker was chased away from the location sparked my curiosity. So, the very next day we left to explore the living museum with hopes of finding memories of the dead.

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A Potter’s Field In Springfield

Burial grounds in New England boast a wide variety of markers, from traditional stones, to crosses, to flat plaques, benches, raised tables and even obelisks. But what of a graveyard with no visible markers whatsoever?

Bay Path Cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts is one such “stoneless” yard. Also called the Almshouse Burial Grounds, Bay Path Cemetery is home to nearly a thousand former residents of the town poorfarm and the old Municipal Hospital. Giving every impression of an empty lot, the small cemetery sits on a corner of Blunt Park by Roosevelt Avenue. It is surrounded by a low chain-link fence with locked gates, and contains a solitary stone marker bearing an inscription from Matthew: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

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The Restless Captive

High above, the sun’s rays bombarded the earth with malevolent force. I tried with determination to ignore the heat and concentrate on catching a trout or two, but the beads of sweat streaming down my face served as a grim reminder that today would have been better spent in the confines of our air-conditioned home.

Evidently, the trout had the same idea, as they were unwilling to move from the river’s depths to chase our offerings. Oh, how clear and cool the water looked, but I realized the consequences outweighed the benefits of staying put. Instead I opted to escape the blistering heat under the sheltering limbs and leaves of the woods directly behind us.

Frustrated and beginning to sunburn from the searing heat, I seized a polystyrene cup someone had carelessly discarded on the river bank and walked into the soothing embrace of the wood. After a moment’s appreciation for the shade, I went to the task of turning over laid down timber, hoping to find earthworms for bait. My efforts were rewarded rather quickly, but at the last log I was to raid, a flash of color the size of an adult crossed my view.

I stood up quickly, dropping my container, and scanned the woods in all directions. My heart felt as if it would leap out of my chest. I focused upon the direction in which I thought the the blur had moved, and a short distance away, amongst the trees protruding from the soft soil, stood a stone marker. My eyes flickered in each direction to reassure myself that I was alone, and then, with cautious steps, I proceeded forward.

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Forsaking Old Main

The uphill approach is an overgrown hash of tangled, graveled decay that ultimately gives way to an expanse of sparse spring green and scattered granite rubble; the pervading stillness of this place belies the proximity to Massachusetts State Route 66 and the Smith College athletic fields. A few small buildings remain, in varying states of decay, as a testament to the rich Elizabethan grandeur that once stood on this spot.

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