The explanation for the deviation is a long and convoluted story dating back to 1642 when two men, Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffery, were tasked by Massachusetts Bay officials with establishing the Bay Colony's southern boundary and running a borderline westward. Apparently, an error was made which led to many decades of borderline disputes between Massachusetts and Connecticut. The issue was finally resolved in 1804 when as part of the solution the Southwick Jog was created.
I launched into the lake's South Pond at 8 am just over the line in Suffield, CT. The boat launch there is for hand-launched boats only (no ramp). Before heading northward I enjoyed this view of Manitick Mtn. to the south in Connecticut...
About 2 miles up I passed under Point Grove Road...
...and entered the North Pond, the smallest of the three ponds...
Before entering the South Pond I stopped at a boat launch near Great Brook where a kiosk explained the large ice industry that operated on the lake in the early 1900s...
This structure appears to control water entering Great Brook...
...which flows to the Westfield River and ultimately to the Connecticut River.
By this time the day had warmed considerably (90 F.+) and upon passing under Congamond Road I entered South Pond where a refreshing breeze welcomed me...
Reaching the pond's southwest corner I entered what was once part of an 86-mile long canal running from New Haven, CT to Northampton, MA...
After about a quarter mile down the canal I came to this structure...
...at a very peaceful spot. Saw a bicyclist or two in the distance riding along the rail trail.
Turned about here and found myself looking at these recently bloomed lady slippers...
So what was the surveying error that Woodward and Saffery made back in 1642?
According to the Royal Charter of Massachusetts Bay 1629 (pre-spellcheck): "All that Parte of Newe England in America aforesaid, which lyes and extendes betweene a greate River comonlie called Monomack alias Merriemack and a certen other River there, called Charles River, being in the Bottome of a certayne Bay there, comonlie called Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias Massachusetts Bay, and also all and singular those Landes and Hereditaments whatsoever, lyeing within the space of three English Myles on the South Parte of the said Charles River, or of any or everie Parte thereof...".
From the drawing they made it looks to me like they decided that Lake Pearl, which discharges into a tributary of the Charles River, was the southernmost point. Three miles south from Lake Pearl is fairly close to the present-day Massachusetts/Rhode Island border at Rhode Island's northeast corner. It was when they subsequently ran a line from there westward to the Connecticut River and beyond that the error was made. The surveying instruments in 1642 were probably a lot less accurate than those that became available later. Most historical accounts which I came across claim that after marking the three mile south point in Wrentham, Woodward and Saffery sailed around Cape Cod, along New England's south coast, and then up the Connecticut River to a location they incorrectly believed was at the same latitude, and headed westward from there.
One website , however, defends Woodward and Saffery contending that "The criticism of Woodward and Saffery that they avoided Indian territory by sailing around Cape Cod and up the Connecticut River appears to be unfounded." This site also displays copies of the 1642 survey. I guess it's one of those issues that will never be resolved with certainty.
At any rate, I found Lake Congamond to be a beautiful body of water and was glad to visit it on such a quiet weekday morning. In many ways Congamond reminded me of Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA with both lake's Native American names sounding similar as well.
Trash was light and found mostly on the ground where I launched from in Suffield...
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