My son has to complete community service hours for his black belt in martial arts and today was clean up at a local cemetery. I brought my saw along and they really needed some areas cleaned up. I believe the cemetery is run by volunteers. The JRROTC group from the local high school was there helping out. There was a huge limb from an oak that split off and it knocked over some headstones. I cut as much of it up with the 025. It is my only saw, but it is a great limbing saw. I also tried out my new chaps and they were comfortable. The FHC t-shirt was a big hit too. Notice the flag in the pic. Once this area was cleaned up, the brush was hauled off and the larger pieces left. I was welcome to take the wood, but I am not in a position right now with a possible move. Too much on my plate already. I mentioned that Rowerwet may want to look at the tree and other already cut piles. I left this for someone with a bigger saw. My son and his friends were able to upright a few headstones that were knocked over. Some were too heavy to lift and best left for someone with experience and the right gear to hoist. As I was cleaning up, I stopped over to look at the flag. Underneath a coppiced oak was a covered headstone of a Civil War Veteran. The oak stump wasn't big, but it was dense and right up against the stone. Taking it easy around the stone. I read up on the history of the company on a water break and they defended Washington D.C. south of the Potomac during the Civil War. Best part of my day right here. It was a beautiful day to spend the afternoon in an old New England cemetery. I cleared this area of saplings. There were so many headstones in the woods that time has forgotten. These were just the visible ones. I believe some of the earliest burials were around 1810 or so.
Would this had been all farmland when the cemetery was first started? I am assuming it was the edge of a battlefield at one time.
I'm not sure of the history yet. We have several drumlins the area and this location is very hilly. Probably wasn't a farm. Our city had several colonial French and Indian raids in different locations. The earliest cemetery was established around 1640-ish.
Nice job there, fishingpol. There are so many small cemeteries in the northeast that time has sadly forgotten. It must be a great feeling to help keep this one from joining those ranks.
Great work! If Rowerwet isn't interested, let me know and I'll take a look and see if its something I could help out with.
Looks like a great day! Before some very good folks here( Pallet Pete ) gave me a CS-400 I only had my 021. I cut some pretty big stuff with the 14" bar. My friend with the tree service that delivered the wood was kinda impressed. I need to get another load soon. I feel bad they gave me the saw and I have not used either of them much.
Truly inspiring post. Great job on you and your sons part. To much of this great nation is fading away before our eyes.
Thanks for the tip fishingpol , I stopped by and talked to a few volunteers. It's good to see this cemetery get some help, it's very old and has been neglected for a while. As I mentioned in our exchange , the tree might be spoken for, but I left contact information in case the first guy doesn't pan out. This wouldn't be a super easy retrieval, but I would be glad to help them out. They also mentioned they'd like a few other trees taken out, one is a monster maple near the front gate. The cemetery is considered to be the most haunted spot in town, I took it with a grain of salt until last year. Some homeless people living in the back of the cemetery were taking packages from houses, the police caught them and retrieved the stolen stuff. The Haverhill police department posted a picture of a couple officers carrying out armloads of stuff. Somebody zoomed in on the pictures and identified multiple faces hovering around the officers. Once you saw the zoom in shots, the faces were easy to see on the Haverhill police department Facebook page, original picture
Foiling the Grinch This is the story, scroll through the pictures, it's the second one, with the two officers
Poor old Haverhill has a lot on their plate, not good but understandable that they can't maintain their old cemetaries. Great that you volunteers stepped in and helped.
I used to cut the grass in that cemetery from 1973 to 1977, I also cared for neglected and toppled headstones. My cousin lived across the street, when we were 12 & 13 we used to have BB guns wars there with a bunch of kids. I grew up 3 streets over from fishingpol . He wasn't there then though, It was a great place to grow up then.
It was a battlefield, but not the kind you think. In the late 1600's this was the frontier, the furthest north inland town at the time. Indians from Canada and northern New England allied to French struck at random at English settlements on the frontier as the the two countries battled for possesion of the " new world". The woods were cut back for miles giving no cover for the attackers to hide and approach from, and sturdy brick houses were built in the farm fields called "garrison houses" that could not be set fire to. Upon sightings of approaching Indians the alarm was sounded, and all fled the farm fields for the safety of the garrision houses where thru the gun ports they could be defended. So many know nothing of how our ancestors struggled, lived, and how so many were brutally killed. They struggled mightely to forge this great nation. I know, and will never forget their struggle.
fishingpol , such a great post, I kinda rambled a little about the history of the area, but I just want to say, so nice of you and son to do what you did. As you can read it is a special place to me as well. Thank you so much, you brought back many great memories.
If it does work out for you, let me know and I will give you a hand. With your saws, those bigger rounds could be rolled downhill to your trailer.
The simple Buddaist definition of karma is cause and effect; do this and that happens, do that and this happens. Do good and good things happen in return. You and your son are soon to have something good happen for your hard work. The first part is how at peace you felt during and after your 'work.' I you and your son for your honorable community service.
