On to the Walk!
As you start on the path, the area is heavily wooded. (Full size photo is 31K.) Deep in the woods, the fall color changes have not yet begun. This photo is representative of much of the Annex, some second growth forest alongside old stone walls that used to be boundaries for the many apple orchards and farms on the land prior to the War Department taking the land by emminent domain in 1939.
Jerry Evers, one of FOCUS's "trail specialists" checks out a bunker. (Full size photo is 17K.) This photo gives you a sense of perspective of the size of these bunkers. There are 50 concrete bunkers in the Annex. The bunkers were constructed by the US Army in 1940 to hold ammunition for World War II. One of the more amusing stories about the Annex involves the bunkers.
Area residents were told that the Annex was being used by the "US Match Company" to store matches for the "boys over seas". This cover story was offered because residents couldn't avoid noticing the construction of the railroad tracks in the wetlands to connect the bunkers. However, residents were very familiar with the US Government taking of the land. At midnight, for weeks, trains rolled in to deliver "matches" under cover of darkness. Of course, residents did not believe the cover story and it was an open secret that the Army was using the bunkers to store ammunition and weapons. We never did hear how the Army explained the occasional "explosion".
This is a common site in the Annex. (Full size photo is 20K.) It is a groundwater test well, painted bright orange to make it easy to locate in the woods. These wells are installed all over the Annex and number somewhere in the range of 125 over 2,500 acres. These wells are used to monitor the level of contamination in groundwater and to guage the depth of the water table. The wells, depending on location, are sampled on a twice per year basis to monitor groundwater conditions. The location of a well at a particular site does not specifically mean that hazardous waste is buried at that location. Many are placed strategically to monitor "background levels" of substances in groundwater - including minerals and salts.
Puffer Pond is one of the more amazing views within the Annex. (Full size photo is 19K.) This is the first time that FOCUS has held a walk during the fall when the colors are spectacular. The Pond actually had several vacation homes built on it at the time the Army took the land. All that is left now are some foundations, stone walls, and assorted artifacts indicating that anyone ever lived here. Local historians have described various Native American tribes living in this area. Some early artifacts can be viewed at the town historical society collections.
Tom Strunk, Fort Devens Annex Project Manager, (left) stops to chat with Eric Hurowitz, Fort Devens Public Affairs, and Cindy Ruzich, FOCUS president (visible in large photo). (Full size photo is 26K.) Our first water station is a great place for conversation especially after walking up the hill! In many cases, the government representatives working on the Annex project, have not had the opportunity to really visit the Annex and enjoy its beauty. This was Eric's first trip to the Annex.
This is a view of Taylor Brook as it leaves Puffer Pond and heads toward the Assabet River on the north end of the Annex. (Full size photo is 30K.) This year, due to low rainfall, the brook is more of a slowly flowing bog. In spring, this area is the best view in the entire Annex for birdwatchers. This spot is referred to the "Lookout Area" and is located near the first water station. The view is especially spectacular in the spring as water and songbirds go about their business uninterested in the people watching them high above the brook. On occasion, walker are treated to the site of the resident Great Blue Heron cruising overhead like a pterodactyl. His nesting area is not far from this location.
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