Human History in Lone Rock

Since my last visit to Lone Rock Point, the vegetation changed quite a bit. All of the deciduous trees had lost their leaves. However, the coniferous trees such as Northern White Cedar, Eastern Hemlock, and Eastern White Pine remained the same. Additionally, the wildlife activity was much lower than normal. I imagine this was due to the cold and most animals have moved south or found a place to stay for the winter.

Lone Rock Point is an area of rich human history. Its positioning along the water makes it a likely spot for the Abenaki Indians to have conducted a wide variety of activities, or an area of “high prehistoric sensitivity”. As evidence to suggest this was the case, arrowheads have been found on North Beach, adjacent to Lone Rock.

Example of an Arrowhead Used by Native Americans

Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/78874316@N06/7223086754

Later, in 1841, Bishop John Henry Hopkins purchased the land and built a house on the area. To do this, he clear-cut a substantial portion of the forest there and removed the brush in the understory. He used stone from the point to construct this house. This meant that he had to blast large boulders and quarry stone on Lone Rock. In addition to the house, the Hopkins family also planted an apple orchard on the peninsula. While there aren’t apple trees in my plot, I have seen a few as I am walking through the woods there. I imagine that they are remnants from the orchard. Today, the land is still owned by the Diocese of Vermont.

Hopkins House on Lone Rock Point

Retrieved from http://www.uvm.edu/place/burlingtongeographic/focalplaces/rp-landuse.php

References:

(n.d.). Rock point: Human land-use history. Retrieved from Burlington Geographic website:         http://www.uvm.edu/place/burlingtongeographic/focalplaces/rp-landuse.php

 

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