Assawompsett Pond - Part 4 (last) of the Native To LbNA #68607 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Shamoose  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jun 7, 2015 |
| Location: | Royal Wampanoag Cemetery, Braley Hill RD, Lakeville, MA |
| City: | Lakeville |
| County: | Bristol |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | minxydc |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jul 25, 2016 |
| Status: | FFFFam |
| Last edited: | Dec 20, 2022 |
“Assawompsett Pond” Letterbox
Part 4 (last) of the Native Tongues Series
Enjoy the contents and replace it where
you found it, hidden from view. If the
contents are missing or damaged,
please email mooseal33@yahoo.com
placed by “Shamoose” on
Atlasquest.org 6/07/2015
Wampanoag has a meaning of “people of the first light.” This letterbox is placed in honor of them.
Directions: From the north: Take I-495 South to exit 14A towards Cape Cod. Take Route 18 south, exit 5 towards Lakeville/New Bedford. Merge onto Bedford ST and follow for 7 miles. Stay left at the split for Route 18 and continue to follow RT 105/Bedford Street straight for about 1 mile after the split. The Royal Wampanoag Cemetery is on the right just before you drive in between the two ponds. Park on the left immediately after the Cemetery on the "mud road." Be careful when crossing the street, as the road is curvy and people tend to speed.
From the south: Take highway 140 North to exit 9 County RD/Lakeville taking a slight left off of the ramp. Take a right onto Highland RD. When Highland RD. ends, bare right onto Bedford ST/Route 105 and follow along for about 4 miles. Stay left at the split for Route 18 and continue to follow RT 105/Bedford Street straight for about 1 mile after the split. The Royal Wampanoag Cemetery is on the right just before you drive in between the two ponds. Park on the left immediately after the Cemetery on the "mud road." Be careful when crossing the street, as the road is curvy and people tend to speed.
Clue: Facing the sign of the Royal Wampanoag Cemetery you will see lots of burial stones, feathers and shells. Please do not disturb anything in the Cemetery, as this is a sacred spot to be respected and to reflect on the beauty and tranquility of nature and the history of the people devoted to this land. Standing to the right of the cemetery sign, walk to the last burial rock on the right hand side. This rock is triangular and pointing up towards the sky. Two steps past this triangle stone is a 3-trunked Grey Birch tree with another 3-trunked Grey Birch directly behind it. Stand in the middle of those 2 tree groups facing those trees. Now turn around and look about 25 paces ahead and towards the left into the woods. In the distance there is a dead tree that fell horizontally and is now propped up between two birch trees. Walk to this horizontal tree (be careful, as there is no real path to it and it’s tricky walking). This tree is about 4 feet off the ground and at the bottom of a small hill. There is a fallen log to the right of this tree along the ground. The letterbox is tucked under that fallen log. Look for it where the two trunks meet. It’s tucked under the tree covered in bark and leaves in a camo ziplock bag. Please rehide well.
History: The Wampanoag people were have deep roots in this area. This area is called the Assawompsett Pond Complex and it's within the cluster of 5 great ponds/lakes: Pocksha and Assawompsett to the north, Great and Little Quittacas to the east and south and Long Pond to the west. Assawompsett means the place of white stone. The Wampanoags were living throughout this area as the fishing (herring) was in abundance and the soil was of great quality. They were devastated by diseases such as smallpox in 1617 with the arrival of Europeans.
Through Indian deeds, some of the area in between the ponds, refered to as Betty's Neck, remained in Wampanoag’s hands. Tispaquin, Massasoit’s son-in-law saw deeding it as the best way to protect this area. 500 of these acres went to Assaweeto, whose English name was Betty. Despite the colonist’s feelings of being free to settle wherever they wished, the deeded lands remained off limits and in the Indian’s hands. Melinda Gould (Princess Teeweleema) lived on Betty’s Neck as the 7th generation and last living descendant of Massasoit, Chief of the Wampanoags.
Resource “A Short History of Assawompsett and Betty’s Neck”
If you want to see a beautiful view of the Assawompsett Pond Complex, you could continue down the road from the Cemetery south to the New Bedford Water Works. This area is owned by the City of New Bedford and these ponds are the public drinking supply for this city and surrounding towns. You could park at the Water Works gate ...about half a mile from the Cemetery on the right after a sharp curve in the road. You are allowed to park at that entrance road on the sides, just as long as you don’t block the gate or the roads. You can walk the whole property, as it is open to walkers, joggers, bikers, etc. It’s a great spot to see the Lower Quittacas Pond and the wildlife that lives here. There are often eagles, loons and rare birds found over here. This area is not open to fishing, swimming or boating.
Part 4 (last) of the Native Tongues Series
Enjoy the contents and replace it where
you found it, hidden from view. If the
contents are missing or damaged,
please email mooseal33@yahoo.com
placed by “Shamoose” on
Atlasquest.org 6/07/2015
Wampanoag has a meaning of “people of the first light.” This letterbox is placed in honor of them.
Directions: From the north: Take I-495 South to exit 14A towards Cape Cod. Take Route 18 south, exit 5 towards Lakeville/New Bedford. Merge onto Bedford ST and follow for 7 miles. Stay left at the split for Route 18 and continue to follow RT 105/Bedford Street straight for about 1 mile after the split. The Royal Wampanoag Cemetery is on the right just before you drive in between the two ponds. Park on the left immediately after the Cemetery on the "mud road." Be careful when crossing the street, as the road is curvy and people tend to speed.
From the south: Take highway 140 North to exit 9 County RD/Lakeville taking a slight left off of the ramp. Take a right onto Highland RD. When Highland RD. ends, bare right onto Bedford ST/Route 105 and follow along for about 4 miles. Stay left at the split for Route 18 and continue to follow RT 105/Bedford Street straight for about 1 mile after the split. The Royal Wampanoag Cemetery is on the right just before you drive in between the two ponds. Park on the left immediately after the Cemetery on the "mud road." Be careful when crossing the street, as the road is curvy and people tend to speed.
Clue: Facing the sign of the Royal Wampanoag Cemetery you will see lots of burial stones, feathers and shells. Please do not disturb anything in the Cemetery, as this is a sacred spot to be respected and to reflect on the beauty and tranquility of nature and the history of the people devoted to this land. Standing to the right of the cemetery sign, walk to the last burial rock on the right hand side. This rock is triangular and pointing up towards the sky. Two steps past this triangle stone is a 3-trunked Grey Birch tree with another 3-trunked Grey Birch directly behind it. Stand in the middle of those 2 tree groups facing those trees. Now turn around and look about 25 paces ahead and towards the left into the woods. In the distance there is a dead tree that fell horizontally and is now propped up between two birch trees. Walk to this horizontal tree (be careful, as there is no real path to it and it’s tricky walking). This tree is about 4 feet off the ground and at the bottom of a small hill. There is a fallen log to the right of this tree along the ground. The letterbox is tucked under that fallen log. Look for it where the two trunks meet. It’s tucked under the tree covered in bark and leaves in a camo ziplock bag. Please rehide well.
History: The Wampanoag people were have deep roots in this area. This area is called the Assawompsett Pond Complex and it's within the cluster of 5 great ponds/lakes: Pocksha and Assawompsett to the north, Great and Little Quittacas to the east and south and Long Pond to the west. Assawompsett means the place of white stone. The Wampanoags were living throughout this area as the fishing (herring) was in abundance and the soil was of great quality. They were devastated by diseases such as smallpox in 1617 with the arrival of Europeans.
Through Indian deeds, some of the area in between the ponds, refered to as Betty's Neck, remained in Wampanoag’s hands. Tispaquin, Massasoit’s son-in-law saw deeding it as the best way to protect this area. 500 of these acres went to Assaweeto, whose English name was Betty. Despite the colonist’s feelings of being free to settle wherever they wished, the deeded lands remained off limits and in the Indian’s hands. Melinda Gould (Princess Teeweleema) lived on Betty’s Neck as the 7th generation and last living descendant of Massasoit, Chief of the Wampanoags.
Resource “A Short History of Assawompsett and Betty’s Neck”
If you want to see a beautiful view of the Assawompsett Pond Complex, you could continue down the road from the Cemetery south to the New Bedford Water Works. This area is owned by the City of New Bedford and these ponds are the public drinking supply for this city and surrounding towns. You could park at the Water Works gate ...about half a mile from the Cemetery on the right after a sharp curve in the road. You are allowed to park at that entrance road on the sides, just as long as you don’t block the gate or the roads. You can walk the whole property, as it is open to walkers, joggers, bikers, etc. It’s a great spot to see the Lower Quittacas Pond and the wildlife that lives here. There are often eagles, loons and rare birds found over here. This area is not open to fishing, swimming or boating.