Search Results: Authors starting with G from Powwow River Books

From the back cover: For most people, the term "root cellar" evokes an image of a brick or stone masonry subterranean structure tunneled into a hillside. These classic root cellars are only one of a number of different types of structures used to preserve root crops, vegetables and fruits over the past 400 years. The other structures include subfloor pits, cooling pits, house cellars, barn cellars, field root pits & trenches, and root houses. Root Cellars in America provides a history of all the structures, discusses their design principles, and details how they were constructed. The text is accompanied by period illustrations from the agricultural literature along with archaeological photographs.
There has been a long standing debate whether the stone slab roof and corbelled beehive shaped subterranean structures in northeastern United States are root cellars or Native American ceremonial stone chambers. New research indicates some are root cellars and some are ceremonial chambers. The third edition… Read More

From the time of the American Revolution to the end of the 19th century, Lawton Foster Road in Hopkinton, Rhode Island was home to a small rural community. A few families eked out a living on the rocky poor soils through growing corn, rye, potatoes, apples, small scale sheep farming, and timber harvesting. Today, the land has reforested and much of it has become wildlife conservation property.
These lands harbor a big mystery. Over 2500 stone structures have been found including stone cairns, three stone chambers, several serpent effigies, enclosures, niches, triangle symbolism and other odd man-made features. These are in addition to the more recognizable historic structures like house and barn foundations, stone walls, and two saw mill sites. Who built these enigmatic stone cairns? When? And for what purpose?
A dedicated team composed of stone structure researchers, field documentation team, local historians, and conservation people set out to unravel this mystery through documenting the… Read More

In the heart of Cape Ann, Massachusetts is a high flat rocky ridge which stretches from Gloucester to Rockport. The area is crisscrossed with old roads and modern hiking trails.  It is best known as the location of the abandoned village of “Dogtown” with its many ancient cellar holes and numerous inspirational sayings carved into the boulders by philanthropist Roger Babson in the 1930’s. The Stones of Dogtown and Beyond offers fresh insights into these well known landmarks and delves into forgotten aspects of the place’s history.This guide takes a fresh look at the well known carved sayings and house numbers and reveals the unique differences in style which distinguish one carver from another. It reveals evidence of a long standing Native American presence on Dogtown Commons which has remained hidden in plain sight. It explores two 19th century granite quarries and points out examples of other stone splitting activity along the roads and trails. It delves into the mystery of Turtle Mound, a… Read More

The America�s Stonehenge archaeological site is located in North Salem, NH. The site consists of a complex of stone chambers, standing stones, niches, carved drains, astronomical alignments and other man-made features. The site served as a major spiritual and ritual center for a group of ancient Native Americans. Construction began on the site some 3000 years ago and continued for the next 2500 years. This guide is a basic introduction to the major features and structures of the site. It is organized as a self-guided tour.

The Art of Splitting Stone is a detailed study of the history, tools, and methods used to split, hoist, and transport quarried stone in pre-industrial New England (1630-1825). It is an invaluable resource for historians, archaeologists, and stone masons interested in identifying and dating early stone splitting and quarrying methods. The amateur researcher and avid outdoors person will find the book useful as a field guide to identifying split boulders and stone quarries abandoned in the woods.

170 pp. 200 B&W Illus.
FROM BACKCOVER: Across Massachusetts, roadsides are dotted with small stone markers giving the mileage to major cities. These ancient road signs called milestones aided travelers during the 1700’s and 1800’s as our road signs today do with their mileage and destination information.  Although, these old milestones no longer serve a useful purpose in our modern age of highways, they continue to fascinate us.  This fascination has led to the preservation by local communities of at least 129 milestones in Massachusetts and a number of milestones in New Hampshire.Milestones were for the most part commissioned by private citizens and made by local or itinerant stone carvers. With the exception of the turnpike milestones, no two milestones are alike. There are differences in the type of stone chosen, the wording, and the lettering styles of individual carvers. These differences give the milestones personality and character. This sense of character is one of the endearing… Read More