For six years, I lived a stone’s throw from this spot. I drove past here countless times since becoming a geocacher before it dawned on me in the summer of 2014 that there should be a cache here.
Shannock Village straddles Charlestown and Richmond, where the Pawcatuck River forms the town line. It was a thriving mill village from the early 1800s to the 1960s. The exact origin of the horseshoe-shaped dam is not known, although it is believed to date back two centuries. Many of the old houses in the village have been restored, and a few more are in the process. The Northeast Rail Corridor runs through the village, and passing trains are heard and seen regularly.
The state, along with a number of environmental organizations, has undertaken several projects along this stretch of river in Shannock and Kenyon to make it easier for fish and eel to migrate. A dam in Kenyon was removed, as was the lower falls dam in Shannock, near a virtual cache GCA463. Here at the horseshoe dam, a fish ladder was installed in 2011 and dedicated to the late Lawson M. Cary Jr. See the gallery for a picture of the dam and fish ladder, a diagram of the fish ladder, and a picture of the monument to Mr. Cary. There is a small park, which also serves as a portage around the dam for paddlers. The put-in is across the road, on the same end of the bridge, where there is parking for your car.
Take some time to explore this tiny park, the fish ladder, the dam and the interpretive sign, which describes the village’s history, the dam and the fish ladder. For a sleepy village, there is a lot of traffic through here so please be careful. There are several multi-family houses nearby so stealth is advisable.
The cache is a micro that is not on or near the fish ladder. It is not in the wall. Please do not climb on the fish ladder.
Congratulations to mysticquest on your 3,000th find!