Dogtown

Dogtown is an abandoned inland settlement on Cape Ann in Massachusetts. It is divided between the city of Gloucester and the town of Rockport. It is in an area not particularly suited to agriculture, due to its poor and very rocky soil. Nevertheless it was settled, beginning in 1693, because its inland location afforded protection from pirates and from enemy natives. Most of the area of Dogtown is now a dense woodland, criss-crossed and bisected by trails and old roads. Dogtown Road off of Cherry Street in the western section (the Gloucester side) is even lined with the remains of the cellar holes of the settlers, many of which are numbered in correspondence with names from John J. Babson's book of the history of Gloucester. Babson's grandson, Roger Babson, is known for, among other things, his commissioning of unemployed stonecutters to carve inspirational inscriptions on approximately three dozen boulders in Dogtown during the Great Depression. Babson also mapped and numbered the cellar holes left from the homes of Dogtown's former residents.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Babson
• Dog
• Gloucester
• words

[VictrolaJazz]

It is definitely haunted! You'll notice a devil dog keeps appearing! I read a book about this place--the carvings on the stones are indeed ancient and unfamiliar with the majority of the populace today: "be on time", "kindness", "work hard", "loyalty", "courage", "truth", none of these verities taught or valued in the schools or colleges today or valued by the general population.

[MrNorthview]

Great video but I agree that some narrative or music would improve it.

Thanks for the history and the geology you all.

[wwefanbgreige]

Some say its supposedly haunted by witches, prostitutes and others that were outcasted but i would love to see a paranormal investigation there by ghost adventures or ghost hunters.

[Opalwitley]

The stones themselves are there because it is a terminal moraine, dropped there by a glacier. The carvings were put there during the depression. Babson hired out of work men to carve them as inspiration. Each old cellar hole is also carved with a number.

[lsukitten]

Interesting I wonder what's up with the stones and why they are there. I Would like to know the history of the stones.

[tonypata]

Cool , looks like you had a good time. I've spent allot of my life hiking up there. Some music or narrative would have been nice.