On the morning of October 23, 2011, our intrepid travelers journy to the old Hemlock that Puppy MacArthur used to sit under waiting for the deer to come to him. Attending were Ken, David, Scottie, Laddie, Glen, Joe, Christopher, Jack, Maria, and Barry (friend of Laddie).

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A quick stop at the bridge on Orange Road where an old photo of Nannie and Puppy was taken:



Gathering at the turn onto Great Swamp Road. Known as White Sheds (from the 30's) for the 3 white sheds that used to stand at the intersection. ( N42.65093 W72.40012 )









And then we head in...



Meeting at the trailhead. ( N42.64372 W72.39595 ) This area is known as "Hanging Tree" as it was here that the deer were hung for the day before heading home.



From the trailhead, we mostly bushwacked into Puppy's tree. The very first challenge is the crossing of the brook. Each of our travelers made it across without any serious incident. One sneaker became a little damp, but the sock stayed dry.

This is the path we took. Although no elevation change is shown on this topo, there were a lot of small rolling hills, soft land, and flowing water. To the north of the tree is the Great Swamp, larger today than in years past. To the south are the ridges from which deer were flushed back to the tree.

The group arrives at Puppy's Tree ( N42.64120 W72.39019 )



Here is Scottie's initials, carved several years ago...



And somewhere behind here is Puppy's...

(sorry for the blur, it's a zoom from a much wider image)

Glen began adding his own mark...



The group stands in awe of the tree...



Laddie steps up with a hammer and chisel, determined to find the mark...



It took a lot of effort digging out the new growth, but after about 45 minutes and 3.5" in, the past was recovered. MAC can clearly be seen..





The process continued to recover the '47'...



Glen showed us how he gets those wonderful shots...



Glen, Scott, Laddie

David and Jack

Joe and CJ

Laddie and Maria

Then we headed over to Coller Cemetery.



Where we searched for the epitath that Ken used in his father's eulogy.





It reads:

Reader Behold as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so you must be,
Prepare for death & follow me.

According to the internet, the original version of this can be found in an old English monastery and is quite popular in various forms on headstones across the European and American continents.

From the woods, several stopped in the town of Orange for a bite to eat, and then home to our families. (once again, without any deer) ----------------------------------------------------------

From Ken:

The “unofficial” (as best I can recall) history of the MacArthur Clan in deer country, from stories I was told and events I can remember.

My part of the story only goes back to 1957, when I was 10 years old and couldn’t carry a gun for another 3 years (laws – age 13 at the time). That first year was cold and snowy. It was below zero and my father had to stop to put on his chains just to get up the main road. It was Puppy, Uncle Arthur (Nannie’s brother), my father, & I in my father’s 1952 DeSoto followed by Uncle Curtis in his car & Uncle Leo, Junior, & Bobby (his sons) in their car. I did not have hunting clothes, so my mother pinned red squares of cloth on my pants and jacket. I looked like a clown, but that was the only way I was going with my mother’s “permission.” Back in those days Uncle Leo and his sons hunted the cemetery area. They parked their car on or near the cemetery road while we parked down Great Swamp Rd about a mile in from the White Sheds intersection at the “hanging tree” near the brook. Puppy, Uncle Arthur, my father, Uncle Curtis, & I hunted the ridges above Puppy’s tree (1 mile in from the brook + another 1.5 miles up the ridge). Puppy and Uncle Arthur (his last year) stayed at Puppy’s tree (doing “whatever”), while my father and I headed straight up the ridge through the first and second set of pines to the third set on top of the ridge with Uncle Curtis heading up from the left side to meet on top. We would also head out further at the top to the rock overlooking Laurel Lake. Our objective was to get on top where it was warmer and sunnier, before the deer moved out of the lower valleys/brook/swamp to feed on top where we were waiting. My Father and Uncle Curtis shot most of their deer up on top. We would head back to the car for lunch in the late morning + check the “hanging tree” for any deer, then tackle the much steeper ridge up to the table rock on top on the other side of Great Swamp Rd in the afternoon. This was our trail most every year with a couple diversions over towards the cemetery area. The ride home was always a challenge trying to stay awake after hiking 10+ miles up and down ridges.

Before getting into the events I remember and was a part of, I should give you some background on deer country and our family’s involvement. I carried Puppy’s gun after he died in 1960. The gun is a 20 gauge Remington semi automatic made in 1912 (5 shells – 1st slug followed by 4 buckshot). Puppy carried the gun for 40 years (only got 1 deer) so it must have been early to mid 1920’s when he first went out with Uncle Leo and Uncle Arthur to Wendell Depot/Warwick and Erving/Northfield. I’m told they took a train to Erving and walked in from there (7-10 miles). I don’t know what their plans were if they ever got a deer and how they would get it home, nor how they were allowed to take their guns on the train, but that was/is the story. I guess my father and Uncle Curtis also took the train when they first started in the 1930s.

Deer Country is comprised of 3 state forests – Erving, Northfield, & Warwick and their boundaries cris-cross in the woods. The road from Orange to the road to Laurel Lake is/was paved, but the road (Orange/Quarry Rd) from there in for about 5-7 miles is still dirt. When you cross the bridge over Keyup Brook (the bridge where the picture of Nannie & Puppy was taken), you come to an overgrown cart path to the left called Great Swamp Rd. That intersection is referred to as The White Sheds. I was told that when Puppy first went out to deer country, there were 3 white sheds (long gone) at the corner.

Puppy also had some friends who would meet him/us out there. One was Zeke and the other Dominick. I bumped into Zeke about 30 years ago (1980ish) and he recognized Puppy’s gun. He asked me if I was carrying my grandfather’s gun.

No one knows the reason why Puppy went there. What was the attraction coming all the way from Watertown? My guess is that it had something to do with PEI relatives. When Puppy’s father and his uncles migrated from PEI in the late 1800’s, his Aunts stayed in PEI. According to my information, Puppy’s aunt’s’ older children migrated to Greenfield and Athol/Orange. Therefore, there may have been some relatives he met. Possibly transportation from/to the train. Just my guess.

There was a story I was told about Auntie Ruthie going deer hunting with Uncle Curtis before I was involved. It was a cold snowy day and she kept her head covered in a hood with limited visibility. As it turned out, she ended up following some strangers/hunters into the woods. I also remember the time we stopped for breakfast in Athol on our way out in the morning. I had ordered a hot chocolate and donut but the waitress misunderstood and gave me a cold baked bean sandwich at 4AM. I was too young (late 1950s) to speak up, so Puppy had a good laugh watching me try to eat my sandwich. He told me it was one of his favorites. There were many deer that hung from the back of our house in Ashland. My mother was not too keen, but was happy to get new deerskin gloves periodically.

Now for the stories I can attest: Puppy and my father tried to teach me fly fishing at Inch (Guggins) Brook, but that was too frustrating. They even took me out on Lake Winnespesaukee in a little aluminum boat on the broads in a windstorm and that cured me of fishing for good. They took me pheasant hunting when I was only 8 (no gun) and Puppy would get mad at me for being afraid to shoot the gun, but I eventually learned. Puppy and my father bought me my only dog – Belle, an English setter hunting dog for my 10th birthday. During pheasant hunting I would hear the stories of deer hunting and wanted to become a part of the experience, so off I went at age 10 and continued to hunt for most of the next 45-50 years. It’s been 7-8 years since I was last deer hunting. During that time I’ve had 2 shots at deer with no kills, so Puppy’s gun must be a jinx – 1 for 40 & 0 for 45.

There used to be many more hunters in the woods when I first started in the late 1950s. In the 1960’s it was mostly just my father, Uncle Curtis, Uncle Leo and I and then Joe joined us. Early in the 1970s Laddie joined us followed by Scottie the following year + his friend Johnny. Uncle Bob Crooker came 1 year in the mid 1970’s, but it was a cold rainy day. Some of Uncle Curtis’ sons (Richard was the most regular) joined us periodically and then after my father and Uncle Curtis were gone, Kevin joined me after Joe had also stopped for a couple years.

My good memories are the ones when Laddie, Scottie and I slept out there. We tried a motel a couple times, but also slept out in the woods. First in Scottie’s pop up camper that almost blew over in a windstorm one night and later Scottie and I slept in the back of my Pinto station wagon with Ladd in the front seat of his car (he was ostracized after eating M&Ms + pepperoni). One morning we overslept, as it seemed dark when we awoke only to learn it had snowed that night and the car was covered with 6-10 inches of snow. Kevin and I also slept out in the back of his truck under a tarp that also got snowed on.

The best part of hunting in deer country is the heritage and the peacefulness of the woods. There’s always the story of the deer – the one Joe & I wounded, the first one Laddie shot, the big 8 point buck my father shot his last year, and all the ones that got away. Also the frozen chocolate bars in the woods (energy food) and the surprise lunches – fruitcake + notes from our wives in our sandwiches. The same stories year after year about Puppy, Uncle Leo, my father and Uncle Curtis. The other pleasure/fond memory is the peace in the woods. When you’re half way up the ridge sitting in just listening, all you can hear is nature – no traffic, no congestion, no rush, no stress, no nothing – just peace.

The family participation has now dwindled to mostly just Laddie and his buddy Barry. We leave the new stories to them and the challenge to get some of us and/or our children to try the experience again. Deerhunting is a great part of the MacArthur heritage. I’m thankful for the experience.

I’m glad that the non-hunters who had heard the stories over the years got a chance to actually witness “Puppy’s Tree” this past weekend. It actually does exist. It is not just some fictitious story.

I hope Dave & Jack, Glen & Maria, + CJ enjoyed the trek. I challenge Ladd & Barry to do it again.

Good memories! Another “bucket list” item checked off.

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From Glen:

On Sundays I sometimes like to sleep late, or get up when Lady gets impatient with waiting, " I have to do my business!" Anyways, it's just one of those relax days for me after dealing with people all week long, and after Saturday clean up yard day. After I come in with Lady, I put the coffee on, yes, I buy Dunkin Doughnuts coffee! While Lady gobbles her breakfast and burp's, I settle down to read the Sunday newspaper and have my coffee, if the Sox lose I'm saying bad words! If they win I'm in a great mood! Funny how that happens!

This year was the MacArthur Year! We lost Auntie Dorrie, and then we had our reunion, great time put on by David, Joyce and Ken's research project! Then we lost Dear Joyce, that feeling of a big hole inside me again! Its hard when you lose a family member, but, you continue to live your life! Be strong and move on is all you can do!

Someone once told me a long time ago, " Things are not as bad as they seem! " All my life I have found that to be true! One of my baseball players from years ago also told me, " You must always have something to look forward to, what is life without that! "

So today, due to David Matheson's brain storm, " How about we go out to Erving and find Puppies' tree! Now for those of you who do not know about Puppies' tree, it's a huge Hemlock in the middle of this State Forest that has no trail to get to! Erving State Forest is just west of Orange, Mass. It was a place where my Grandfather - Lester MacArthur known to us grandchildren as Puppie, went hunting. The mystery is, Why would a man from Watertown, Mass. go hunting here almost 2 hours west by today's driving time! ? Merle do you know? What brought Puppie out here hunting?

Now this tree has a few stories, Puppie would rest there, waiting for a dear to maybe come his way. Sometimes that wait would be a long wait! How about a nap! In his pack her brought his own refreshment, - nips of Crown Royal? Then in 1947 his son Sonny ( William ) had his first child, so Puppie decides to carve MAC, 1947 in the tree! For years I have heard stories about this tree. One time at a MacArthur Christmas party, Mom's brother Curtis was telling me how he told his son's to go out there and find Puppie's tree! " Where is it? they kept asking! " Supposedly, they drove out there and could not find it, so then Curtis took them out there! ? Going thru old photo's, according to Ken MacArthur, I have this picture of Nannie and Puppie standing on this wooden bridge along the road in Erving State Forest.

This morning I got up before the sun! Lady was still sleeping, and when I made noise she awoke with this look on her face, " What are you doing! " My mind was saying, This is something I have been looking forward to!

Scott was here before 8 0 clock, we went to Ken's, from there Ken drove us to Westford to meet with cousin's David and Jack, Joe and Christopher. The drive out old Route 2 was nice the foliage was not as good as in the past. Entering Erving State Forest, we heard from Ladd and his friend Barry, who both have gone hunting there. Maria, Ladds daughter also showed up for this bushwhacking adventure. The road in Erving State Forest started off paved then changed to a well maintained dirt road. After a few miles we came to the famous bridge at which I have this old 1940's photo of Nannie and Puppie.

Up a hill, then a left turn onto this old logging road, not maintained, deep ruts, boulders, and mud puddles! Ken driving his Toyota SUV had confidence, and just drove on thru, David was behind us in his Chevr Trailblazer. Yes, we just blazed down this narrow crappy road, to a parking area. At which time Ladd, Barry and Maria showed up, in a 4x4 pick-up.

After a brief photo session, at which I could not get my camera off self timer mode, we trekked off into the dark forest of Lion's, Tiger's and Bear's, Oh No! Just kidding, the forest was mostly pines, beech and some birch trees, few maple trees turned yellow. There was cloud cover with spots of blue, high 50's and kinda pleasant walking along, conversations going on, with laughter. We on our expedition to find a tree! What a great story! Now, we all had on some kind of hiking boots except Joe! Tell me again, How did you forget your hiking boots? Sneakers are OK, unless one foot slips off a rock into the brook!

After the brook crossing we are approaching, " GREAT SWAMP! " A place that breeds SNIPES! How about Swamp Monsters? No just duck paddling around! Then as I cross a big log, there it is! Evidence that Bears are in the woods! When Lady does her business, they are much smaller! If you know what I mean! " Watch your step! " I warn everyone.

After a few minutes we start down a small rise into a valley, where we kind of split up to search for this tree! I'm following Ken, on his left a way's then suddenly Scott yells out, " I found it! " I can not see him, but head in the direction of his voice. There he his, standing next to the King in the Forest! Its huge! Solid! and I can not see the top its so high!

I grab my bowie knife and announce that my initials are going to be carved!

Then Ladd shows up with a hammer and chisel. Ken points to the spot where Puppie carved MAC 1947, then I see SC carved sometime ago. ( Scott Crooker ). As I begin my construction I find the bark to be very hard and solid, it takes a while just to clear a small area, Ladd is pounding away at this knot under which are the famous MAC initials. It takes me almost an hour to complete my initials, at the same time Ladd is about 3 inches in this knot whete he discovers those famous intitials! FANTASTIC! Is all I can say!

Well so much for a short story made long!

Attached are some pictures for the MacArthur History Books!

Note img 019 ; Yes I got Joe, one split second before his foot got the water temperature

img 022 The famous MAC initials carved in 1947!

img 024 and 025 - Th Great Tree Expeditionary Force of 2011 !

Best Always,

Glen