The former Hudson-Chester Quarry was once one of the largest of
several in the area, extracting granite and shipping it by railroad
for polishing to nearby Chester and Hudson, N.Y. Gravestones and
monuments were the main products. The quarry opened in the 1850's
and closed in the 1960's. It is one of the most intact historic
quarry landscapes in Massachusetts, with a blacksmith shop,
standing derrick, and experimental air-drill testing tunnel.
Tucked between Becket's forests and hills, the old granite
quarry sits like a sunken vessel, a living museum with rusted
artifacts left behind when the Hudson-Chester Granite Company
suddenly folded.
When it was abandoned it was as if the men just walked away for
lunch and never came back, and that's what makes it a wonderful
museum. There are trucks, drills, and derricks (booms to hoist
granite) throughout the site. Apparently mismanagement and lack of
money for necessary improvements led to the abandonment.
The cache itself rests near one of the previously mentioned
derricks which was abandoned over forty years ago. It can be
reached by following the quarry steps counterclockwise around the
quarry, which is a much more scenic route. Using this route,the
official trail dies down and you are made to climb a rock hill to
refind the trail ontop. The cache can also be reached by following
the trails which go around the quarry in a clockwise fashion, which
may be an easier hike, but much less fun. Make sure to be aware of
your surroundings no matter which route. Part of the beauty of this
location was that all of the original tools used in the quarry were
left behind, so be aware of hanging cables and mining tracks.
Please make sure to obey all the regulations of the Land Trust,
as they are stated at the trailhead. Please do not attempt to find
this cache at night and BE CAREFUL. Also have fun and enjoy this
place! There is so much to see.
