Telephone Line in the Five Ponds Wilderness (near Cowhorn Pond)

DSettahr · 05-18-2010, 09:56 PM

When hiking the Cranberry Lake 50 last fall, my friend and I noticed the remains of a phone line that followed the trail between Cowhorn Pond and Olmstead Pond. Does anyone know what this phone line had been used for? What two locations did it connect? I'm guessing it maybe had something to do with private land and the camps on the south shore of Cranberry Lake, but it couldn't have been a primary means of communication for these camps, as it seems like it would've been easier to run a cable across the bottom of the lake. Perhaps it connected another camp, more remote, to the outside world?

The insulators were still quite visible, and a fair number of them were still attached to trees along the trail. We also found remains of the telephone wire itself along the trail, although it looked like it had been cut in numerous places.

I got some pictures of it:

Picture 1
Picture 2

Thunderball · 05-19-2010, 01:53 AM

...possibly the old line to the former fire tower atop Cat Mtn? Maybe a private connection 'tween the large tourist retreat/hunting camp at Ash Pond and their more spartan advance camp at High Falls?

fisher39 · 05-19-2010, 07:36 AM

Cool! I'm willing to bet that at the other end you'll find the remains of a logging camp. It looks like a pretty temporary job.

chairrock · 05-20-2010, 08:38 AM

There were lines run between the main camp on the South Shore, (Nunns Inn and later it became the Indian Mt. Club), both long gone, and some of their backwoods camps. They had camps at Cat Mt Pond, Darning Needle Pond,and a few more.
A number of the camps on the South Shore are the cottages that were associated with Nunns.

The South Shore had telephone service for a number of years. A line ran from Chairrock Lodge to the "mainland "under the lake.It was used by the Lodge for making dinner reservations. Also for awhile a connector line ran from the Lodge to the Barber Point Bio Station and then to the 'mainland". . The phone at the lodge was very popular with the summer residents of the South Shore. It has been probably over 30 years since it was operational.

DSettahr · 05-20-2010, 09:10 AM

Thanks!

Was one of their camps also at Bassout Pond? I found remains of a camp there, off of a very visible but unmarked side trail from the CL 50.

05-18-2010, 09:56 PM	#1
DSettahr ɹǝqɯǝɯ Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,075	Telephone Line in the Five Ponds Wilderness (near Cowhorn Pond) When hiking the Cranberry Lake 50 last fall, my friend and I noticed the remains of a phone line that followed the trail between Cowhorn Pond and Olmstead Pond. Does anyone know what this phone line had been used for? What two locations did it connect? I'm guessing it maybe had something to do with private land and the camps on the south shore of Cranberry Lake, but it couldn't have been a primary means of communication for these camps, as it seems like it would've been easier to run a cable across the bottom of the lake. Perhaps it connected another camp, more remote, to the outside world? The insulators were still quite visible, and a fair number of them were still attached to trees along the trail. We also found remains of the telephone wire itself along the trail, although it looked like it had been cut in numerous places. I got some pictures of it: Picture 1 Picture 2

05-20-2010, 08:38 AM	#4
chairrock Indian Mt.Club Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,674	There were lines run between the main camp on the South Shore, (Nunns Inn and later it became the Indian Mt. Club), both long gone, and some of their backwoods camps. They had camps at Cat Mt Pond, Darning Needle Pond,and a few more. A number of the camps on the South Shore are the cottages that were associated with Nunns. The South Shore had telephone service for a number of years. A line ran from Chairrock Lodge to the "mainland "under the lake.It was used by the Lodge for making dinner reservations. Also for awhile a connector line ran from the Lodge to the Barber Point Bio Station and then to the 'mainland". . The phone at the lodge was very popular with the summer residents of the South Shore. It has been probably over 30 years since it was operational. __________________ Be careful, don't spread invasive species!! When a dog runs at you,whistle for him. Henry David Thoreau CL50-#23

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

05-19-2010, 01:53 AM	#2
Thunderball Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brigadoon, USA Posts: 12	...possibly the old line to the former fire tower atop Cat Mtn? Maybe a private connection 'tween the large tourist retreat/hunting camp at Ash Pond and their more spartan advance camp at High Falls?

05-19-2010, 07:36 AM	#3
fisher39 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,006	Cool! I'm willing to bet that at the other end you'll find the remains of a logging camp. It looks like a pretty temporary job.

05-20-2010, 09:10 AM	#5
DSettahr ɹǝqɯǝɯ Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,075	Thanks! Was one of their camps also at Bassout Pond? I found remains of a camp there, off of a very visible but unmarked side trail from the CL 50.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)