Quick History Stops Near Oxford, MA

On the same day that I visited the Clara Barton Birthplace, I took a walk on a highway turned forest trail, and then visited grave of legendary outdoorsman Grizzly Adams in nearby Charlton, MA. I will have to returning this area in warmer weather to see more quick history stops.

Pond with lily pads reflecting the blue sky. A pair of people walk through a young forest on a crumbling paved road. Water laps against the pine needle strewn banks.

My first stop was Old Route 12 Trail, part of Hodges Village Dam managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The full trail complex has twenty-two miles of paths and connects to the Midstate Trail. The dam was constructed from 1958 to 1959 to act as flood protection from three nearby rivers: French, Quinebaug, and Thames. Nearby Buffumville Dam was built just before this dam from 1956 to 1958. The total cost of these two construction projects was $7.5 million, an equivalent to almost $90 million in 2026 according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator. However, since these projects have prevented an $282.1 million in damage according to a 2011 estimate, which is equivalent to at least $408 million in 2026, this was money well spent. The construction forced Route 12 to be rerouted, hence the decaying road now acting as a trail. The best part of the walk was its view of a small pond filled with lily pads. The smooth surface of the water reflected the bright blue sky and puffy white clouds on the late summer day.

A white metal sign with black text reading Town Pound 1837 Charlton Historical Comission with only one m. A stone wall making a rectangle about fifteen feet wide and twenty feet long. A stone crypt built into a grassy knoll with a pair of wooden doors.

In nearby Charlton was a historic Town Pound and cemetery. The Town Pound was once the place to bring errant livestock for the owner to collect after paying a small fine, not unlike modern dog pounds. This pound was built around 1837 and currently maintained by the Charlton Historical Commission. Directly next to the pound is Bay Path Cemetery, the final resting place of John Boyden “Grizzly” Adams. He was indeed related to the political family containing presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, but the family likely found him less reputable. Those a generation older than me best remember Adams from the film The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974) followed by a TV series of the same name (1977-1978). For some reason in these fantasies, he is known only as James Capen Adams (which was one of his aliases), considered an innocent fugitive, has a cheerful relationship with a friendly grizzly bear, and often helps others in need regardless of their racial background.

A 1970s era gravestone covered in lichen reading Grave of Grizzly Adams Charlton Historical Commission 1976 A late 19th century gravestone badly worn. Badly worn carving of a woodsman standing beside a bear under a drooping tree.

In the Real World, Adams abandoned his wife and three small children after losing his and others’ life savings in a failed business venture, then went to California using his brother’s stolen identity, and repeatedly attacked wild animals to collect them for his menagerie. Adams sustained multiple head injuries when fighting bears and eventually died from a combination of brain infection and being worked to death by P.T. Barnum. Nothing about this story was nice. Adams is currently honored by two gravestones: a newer stone placed by the Charlton Historical Commission in 1976 that is covered in lichen, and an older stone supposedly commissioned by Barnum with a worn engraving of Adams standing beside a grizzly bear. Movie lovers may be disappointed with both the gravesite and the true story, but I found this to be a fascinating example of the disparity between pop culture and true history.

Location: Charlton, MA 01507, USA