This cache is near the home occupied by Freeman Dike from 1878 until 1926. After a few transfers, the property came into the ownership of Jerome and Clara Smith in 1954. They never lived on the property and sold it to the Town of Morristown in 1958. The VAST trail turns south here and heads toward Beaver Meadow.
THIS IS THE FARTHEST WEST CACHE IN THE SERIES. FROM HERE YOU SHOULD RETURN ON TOWN ROAD 43 TO THE STARTING GATE. IF YOU CONTINUE SOUTH ON THE SNOWMOBILE TRAIL YOU ARE HEADED TOWARDS BEAVER MEADOW ROAD AND THIS IS A LONG WAYS FROM YOUR CAR AT THE GATE.
Interesting root system grown in Freeman Dike's cellar entrance.
YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO, NOR SHOULD YOU EVER, MOVE ANY OF THE ROCKS ON THE FOUNDATIONS OR WALLS TO FIND A CACHE. DO NOT GO DOWN INTO THE CELLARHOLES. EVEN IF THE GATE IS OPEN, DO NOT DRIVE BEYOND IT. TO DO THE ENTIRE SERIES PLUS SIGHTSEEING WILL PROBABLY TAKE A MINIMUM OF 2 ½ HOURS, PLAN ACCORDINGLY. WALKING DISTANCE IS OVER TWO MILES TOTAL, ROUND TRIP.
In 1856 the Vermont legislature dissolved the town of Sterling. It was divided amongst the 4 neighboring towns: Morristown, Stowe, Johnson and Cambridge. The remoteness of the Morristown section, and in particular one 340 acre area, continued to be a problem for 100 years. At one time there were as many as six homesteads in the area but by the 1950’s it had been reduced to two families and when Town Road 43 washed out in the mid-50’s (also cutting off Town Road 42), the Town of Morristown decided to buy out the properties rather than repair the roads. The property purchased was used to establish the Morristown Town Forest in the very late 1950’s. In the 1970’s the roads were designated for snowmobile use and the last remaining house was used as a snowmobile clubhouse. It later burned leaving only stone walls and foundations as reminders that people had ever lived in this area. Besides the stone cellar holes you will see stone walls which serve as road right-of-ways, property lines and lot lines of the original sections of Sterling. White signs with black numbers on trees mark the original lot lines. The Morristown Conservation Committee is now working to identify and preserve the history of the area. A trail map, guide and history brochure has been created and is available at the gate and numbered markers will soon identify historic sites. They have given permission for this series of caches.