I never thought to stop at the town common until one day I passed by and thought, "hey, there should be a cache there!"
So that night, I lined up all my potential geocache containers and chose the perfect one for this location.
Please bring a pen, this cache only contains a logbook. The log is a piece of paper rolled around a thread. Pulling the thread may help to remove the log for those cachers who may not have tweezers on hand. Always remember to be respectful of this land and to replace the cache properly.
The hint is a bit of a spoiler, so don't use it if you don't want a spoiler!
Now here's a short history lesson:
Many believe that Deacon John Butler is one of the first settlers of Pelham, New Hampshire. After acquiring around 600 acres of land lying in Dunstable and next to the Dracut line, Butler moved from Woburn to take possession of his new land sometime in the spring of 1721.“The line between Dunstable and Dracut at that time is known to have run from “a pine tree in sight of Beaver Brook” to Long Pond, crossing the “mammoth” road.” His residence stood on the eastern side of Mammoth road.
Bulter built a house constructed of pine logs that were where cut and locked at the corners. On every side, there were portholes between the logs measuring at a convenient height for shooting in case of an attack by the Indians. Surrounding his log cabin, he built a ditch with a draw bridge that would be put down during the day and drawn up by night. After 80 years it was taken down with no trace of its foundation left.
Pelham was split from Old Dunstable in 1741 when the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was settled. Pelham was incorporated in 1746.
In 1886, some of Deacon John Butler’s descendants erected a 15-foot monument at the town’s common, and site of his grave.
Research resources:
“1848 History of Deacon John Butler of Pelham, NH, and his descendants” (http://www.pelhamnhhistory.org/index.php/butler-monument)
A History of the Pelham Town Common by Elizabeth Durfee Hengen with Sarah Dangelas, December 2007. Hayes-Genoter History and Genealogy Library.