The First Stow Men Multi-Cache
walkingwlkr: Path to the final completely overgrown and very difficult to access.
Apparently Town is not maintaining.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This multi-cache will take you to the first settlements of Stow, before it was was officially incorporated in 1683.
Stow was first settled around 1663 by Matthew Boon and John Kettell. Coming from Gloucester and Charlestown, Massachusetts respectively, these two men settled the land of the Tantamous (Jethro) Native Americans, called "Pompocitticut." Boon settled by a large body of water (later bearing his name: Lake Boon), upon a hill (also bearing his name: Boon Hill), with a vast tract of land surrounding him. It is said that he traded all this for a single jacknife. John Kettell took up residence in a portion of land in the southwestern corner of Stow, where the flatness helped with farming. Its proximity to the Lancaster Garrison House (in present day Bolton, Massachusetts, owned by Reverend Joseph Rowlandson) proved vital in later years. John brought his wife Elizabeth Allen of Salem, Massachusetts, and three children: Elizabeth, Mary, Samuel, and James (the only one born in Stow in 1665), proceeded to trade with the natives and farm the land, though very little is known for fact.
Both families were involved in King Philip's War in 1676. Boon took his family to the Sudbury Garrison House, then proceeded to return home with one of his sons and a neighbor. All three were killed. Little, if any thing, is known about the remaining Boon family, but they did survive the initial attack.
John Kettell sent his family to the Lancaster Garrison, which was also attacked and burned. The natives took twenty captives, including Mrs. Rowlandson (a well-known captive, the wife of Rev. Rowlandson who wrote narratives of her captivity), Mrs. Rowlandson’s sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Kettell (John Kettell's wife), and some children. All twenty were ransomed by John Hoar of Concord for 20 £ after several months of the native life style. The Kettell family, once reunited, moved back to Salem, Massachusetts after selling their farm.
Stow celebrated its 325th birthday of its 1683 founding in 2008. I live in Stow and this is my birthday present to my town. Enjoy!
Now that you know all of the facts, go find the geocache and check them against the markers you will find along the way! The markers themselves were 125 years old when the cache was placed, when the areas were still wilderness and farmlands. The areas are now residential, but the (relatively unknown) paths to the markers still allow for public access.
Stage 1: Looks like a driveway, but it's a road.
Stage 2: Say hi to Martin.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
1) Jbbqa'g lbh whfg nqbbe n pyhr urer?
2) Qba'g gnxr svaqvat gur pnpur sbe tenavgr.