Welcome to Waltham, or some of you might know it as Spencer.
This puzzle cache is a history lesson about Spencer that
requires some internet research and some field work to find the
cache. The cache is not at the posted coordinates but you will
still have to go there to retrieve some information.
The cache is at N 44 4A.BCD W 90 1E.FGH
According to old records, the first settlers in the area were
Reuben Ring of New York state accompanied by his brother, Isaac,
his sister, Mrs. Saunders and their mother, Susannah. On January
G, 1871 Reuben had entered a claim in the U.S. Land Office
for land, now partly occupied by Land O’Lakes, The Farmer's
Co-op, The Breeze Inn, Spencer Park, and Soo Line right-of-way. The
Rings later owned a farm west of town, now the property of David
Ingham. Susannah Ring died there in 1899 and is buried in the West
Spencer Cemetery.
You will find her stone at the starting coordinates. She was
born 10/HA/18B3
In June 1874, J. L. Robinson bought the eighty-acre tract where
the village now is; A. J. Brock started a hotel; W. S. Meach, a
butcher shop. Mr. Robinson began the mill in June, 1874. About the
4th of July four blocks were laid out of the village site, and
called Irene, but this name has gone into desuetude.
While the Spencer township was founded in 1871 and established
in 1877 neither of those dates are celebrated, rather we celebrate
the date in which we changed the name from Waltham to Spencer on
7/CE/187D named after Spencer, MA. The actual village
of Spencer was not founded until 1904.
"Scorched Again! Nearly Half the Town Burned" was the headline
in the Spencer Tribune. On F/F/1886 a fire spread
through town burning many buildings, churches, schools, and houses
along the way. Although Spencer did not die as many lumber towns
had after such an experience, the fire did bring the beginning of
the end of the lumber businesses in the area. Even now 125 years
after the fire, no evidence remains that the town went through such
an event but Spencer still remembers that horrific day.
You can find all the information you need to solve this puzzle
through a history link on the Spencer WI Wiki page except for
Susannah's birth date that is found on her grave.
For further reading about the history of Spencer you can find a
copy of the 1874-1974 centennial book at the Spencer public library
977.529 Sp34
Permission has been granted to place this cache by Jason Foth.
Please respect the area!! So if it is being used for any reason
what so ever, please come back another time (this goes for both the
starting waypoint in the cemetery and especially the finals
location) With both the gravestone and cache being buried in snow
this cache will not be available in the winter