A Day in Barre: History, Nature, and Family Fun

Welcome to the first stop on our Walk 351 adventure! We're kicking off our journey in the charming town of Barre, Massachusetts. From a historic cemetery to a scenic dam, a delicious pizza break, and an exciting brewery with unique attractions, Barre offered us a fantastic mix of activities and discoveries. Join us as we explore this wonderful town!

Riverside Cemetery

We started our adventure at Riverside Cemetery, where we were particularly interested in the grave of Jacob Riis. Riis was a muckraking journalist and social reformer known for his work How the Other Half Lives, which exposed the harsh conditions of the poor in New York City's tenements and spurred significant social change. Later in life, Riis moved to a 200-acre farm on Hubbardston Road in Barre, a property he called Pine Brook Farm, where he lived until his death in 1914. His grave is marked by an unmarked granite boulder in Riverside Cemetery, though there is a marker outside the cemetery denoting his burial site.

While looking for Riis's grave, we spotted a grave that looked to have been visited often. The grave is covered with toys and stuffed animals for the six siblings, ages varying from six months old to nine years old, buried there.

Before diving into the story of the Naramore children, please be aware that the following section contains sensitive content. If you prefer, you can skip to the next heading.

Upon reading the back of the gravestone, I remembered reading about this case in Rachel Faugno's Murder & Mayhem in Central Massachusetts. The family was dirt poor, the children were malnourished, and Elizabeth Naramore was at wit's end. She sought help and was told their home was unfit for human habitation, she would have to leave her alcoholic husband, move into the poorhouse with baby Lena while the other five children would have to be placed with foster families. Unable to cope with this harsh reality, after her husband had left for the sawmill, she used an axe to murder her children before using razor blades in an effort to take her own life. She survived, however, and was committed to the state lunatic asylum.

Barre Falls Dam

Next, we visited Barre Falls Dam. We took a little walk around the property, which includes a disc golf course, then went down a couple flights of stairs to get a better look at the water at the base of the dam. The site, managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, is 557 acres of wetlands, forests, open fields, and river areas. It was a peaceful and scenic spot, perfect for a nature walk.

Downtown Barre

Our walk continued downtown, where we came upon a little free library. Both boys picked out books: our 8-year-old chose Al Capone Does My Shirts: A Tale From Alcatraz, since we'll be visiting Alcatraz later this summer, and the 6-year-old grabbed Magic Tree House: Night of the New Magicians, a series both boys love. We plan to return these books, along with some of our own, to other little free libraries in our travels.

Ruggles Lane Elementary School Playground

We then stopped at the playgrounds at Ruggles Lane Elementary School. There are two playgrounds with slides, swings, and climbing structures. Even mom got in on the fun! We also checked out the baseball field and played a little imaginary game.

Barre Pizza

To break up our walk, we stopped for lunch at Barre Pizza. We shared a cheese pizza and onion rings, enjoying a much-needed break from the heat and humidity with cold drinks. The pizza was delicious, and it was fun sitting at the counter.

Cook's Canyon

Our next stop was Cook's Canyon, managed by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. We walked down wooded trails for about 1.3 miles, walking over dirt paths, bog bridges, through clearings, and up and over some rocks. We even got to check out some running water. Unfortunately, the waterfall that is the main attraction of the canyon wasn't much of a waterfall during our visit, but it was still a fun time exploring the woods.

Stone Cow Brewery

We ended our day at Stone Cow Brewery, where we got to play around a bit more and grab some well-earned ice cream. They had a really cool tube slide that went through a hill, and it was fun going down that. Even mom and dad took turns going down the slide! We checked out a wooden teepee, fed a goat, and saw a couple of emus. The ice cream was fantastic—more than we expected and cost less than we thought. I love ice cream! Stone Cow Brewery was a hit, and we definitely want to go back someday.

Conclusion

Barre was a fantastic start to our Walk 351 adventure. From historical sites to fun playgrounds and delicious pizza, we enjoyed every moment as we covered 4.81 miles on foot! Stay tuned for our next town visit as we continue our journey through Massachusetts! Don't forget to check out the YouTube video of our visit!

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Lacing 'em up

It all started with a random conversation in the car. One of the kids asked how many towns there were in Massachusetts, and soon enough the idea was born.

There are 351 towns and cities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, running from the Berkshires in the west all the way to Cape Cod in the east. As a family, we endeavor to get out and about to explore the world around us and experience all we can. It was during this fateful ride home that a new way to explore and experience our home state — taking a walk in each and every one of the 351 communities, documenting it as we go.

For this project, we're starting fresh, ignoring any previous walks and expeditions. No place would be grandfathered in and marked as complete, regardless of how much time we've previously spent strolling around there, running in 5K races, or otherwise. There will be other rules and requirements as we go. Our travels will need to be substantial enough to be considered a good walk, typically a couple of miles at least. We'll aim to check out what each city and town is known for, find town signage, visit monuments and memorials, and maybe even grab a bite to eat. Our walks may take us through downtown areas, residential neighborhoods, local cemeteries, and along rail trails and similar paths.

There may be times when a location is documented multiple times, particularly in cities with numerous neighborhoods and areas to explore. Walking around downtown Boston is not the same as checking out the North End or Southie.

Occasionally, we may find ourselves taking walks beyond the borders of Massachusetts. These could be documented here as side quests. We might have guests join us on our travels, and we'll always be open to suggestions on where to go, what to see, and what to do as we progress.

We'll document each and every one of these "Walk 351" excursions right here in this blog, as well as our Facebook page, Instagram, and we'll endeavor to do so via YouTube as well.