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Socrates Box LbNA #30947

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:May 15, 2007
Location:
City:Chester
County:Middlesex
State:Connecticut
Boxes:1
Planted by:B+D
Found by: Bell Lady
Last found:Jul 28, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFaaFF
Last edited:May 15, 2007

“But that we shall be better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know;- that is a theme upon which I am ready to fight, in word and deed, to the utmost of my power.”
-Socrates, in
Meno by Plato

“All art is concerned with coming into being…”
-Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics


For a project at school (I’m getting certified to be a teacher), I had to pick two ancient source quotes, reflect on them, and do a project to reflect their meaning to me and my philosophy of teaching. I choose the two quotes seen above. For me, the two most important parts of those quotes are the mention of the words “enquiry,” and “art.” Together these quotes represent an intersection of enquiry and art. I believe that letterboxing is another place where art and enquiry intersect. When letterboxing, one must enquire and search out the “answer” to the location of the box. The art comes in with the wonderful handcarved stamps that letterboxes frequently have. (The Socrates Box does contain a stamp that I carved myself.)

The stamp that is found in the box symbolizes, for me, the epitome of Socrates method of enquiry.

Searching for this box takes you on a walk through lovely Chester. The box is in a park, but the walk that you will take to find it is predominantly on the street. (It’s still a beautiful area.) If you would like to make it a day in Chester, consider doing my “Bugs Around Town” series as well.

The walk to the box and back is about 1.5 miles.

This box has an education theme, so you will be starting at the Chester Elementary School, which is located at 23 Ridge Road in Chester, CT 06412. After parking at the school, walk down the driveway to Ridge Road. Take a left on to Ridge Road. Follow the road to the end, where it intersects with Pleasant Street. Take a left onto Pleasant Street. Follow to the end and take another left onto West Main Street. Next, you will be taking your first right onto Straits Road. Shortly, you will be going over a bridge over a waterfall and brook. After you are over the bridge, if you look to your left, you can see L'Hommedieu Park. This park has been the site of a number of different factories over the years. Keep walking until you come to the intersection with Spring Street. (It will be the first intersection you will come to after getting onto Straits Road.) Take a left onto Spring Street. Shortly, you will see a picnic table on the left, just beyond the picnic table, you will be able to enter the park. As you enter the park, you will have a retaining wall on your left and a fence on your right. Cross the wooden bridge.

Immediately after you have crossed the bridge, go left. On your left, you will pass a “Steep Slope” sign, a slab of rock, and then another “Steep Slope” sign. Keep walking and shortly you will notice two large Maple trees on your left. The box is at the base of the second tree. It is on the side opposite of the one that you have been walking on, under some rocks.

After you have stamped in, please be sure to hide the box well. There have been other boxes in this park that are no longer there because they were vandalized.

Make sure you have a stroll around the rest of the park. It is really quite lovely.

To get back to your car, re-trace your footsteps. OR, if you wish to make a loop (this will make the whole walk more than 1.5 miles), take a left when you exit the park. Follow Spring Street to the center of town (where Spring Street ends). Take a left onto Main Street, then take your first left onto West Main Street. Follow West Main up the hill, until you see the Chester Public Library on your left. (It’s a beautiful little building and worth the extra walking to see it.) Across the street from the library is High Street. Follow High Street. Go up a hill, shortly after the top of the hill, you will see Ridge Road on your left. Follow Ridge Road, which will take you back to the elementary school.