Gerrit Smith was one of the wealthiest men in the country and largest landholder in New York in the 1840s. He said that “There is no life like that of the farmer, for overcoming the mere prejudice against color.” John Brown bought his 270 acres here from Smith in 1849 to help assist free Black New York families settle into Adirondack farm life. However, most families wound up selling their parcels because of the wilderness, extreme temperatures, and isolation. John Thomas was one of the few who sold his original parcel, later bought a larger parcel around Vermontville, and became a successful farmer and valued community member. He wrote a thank you letter to Gerrit Smith, discussed at an exhibit at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum at Ausable Chasm.
Can you imagine what it would have been like to clear this area for farming?
Sources:
https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2023/03/untangling-timbucto-and-the-roots-of-gerrit-smiths-land-grants-of-1846.htmlhttps://parks.ny.gov/documents/inside-our-agency/MasterPlans/JohnBrownFarmStateHistoricSite/JBFPublicInformationMeetingPacket.pdf
/www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2023/04/a-brook-by-a-new-name/
This cache is not part of the 2024 NYS Parks Saratoga/Capital District Regional Geocache Challenge. It has been placed for your geocaching pleasure. Enjoy!