History of Welch Island?

[Descant]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

SP,
After sending you a PM expressing interest in the old 8mm movie, I went back and read the article reference in post # 10. I believe that the stone wall on our property on the west side of Welch was part of the sheep pasture. If so, it was probably built in the 1800s long before 8mm film existed. I am not aware of any other stone wall on Welch unless one is on the former Luce property, now owned by Muskat.

SC

I've long been under the impression that the stone wall was used as a barrier to assist in gathering the sheep to get them lined up for loading onto a barge for the return trip to the mainland.
That would make sense to me as one of the closest mainland/island crossings to the beach at what is now Broadview Condominiums. Wasn't Chanticleer Restaurant/Inn predecessor to Broadview, originally a farm? (Wasn't everything once a farm?)

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Descant

I've long been under the impression that the stone wall was used as a barrier to assist in gathering the sheep to get them lined up for loading onto a barge for the return trip to the mainland.
That would make sense to me as one of the closest mainland/island crossings to the beach at what is now Broadview Condominiums. Wasn't Chanticleer Restaurant/Inn predecessor to Broadview, originally a farm? (Wasn't everything once a farm?)

That is also our understanding of the function of the wall, to help funnel the sheep onto the barge. The shape of the wall leads to a narrow loading spot with obvious man made intent. The daughter of the prior land owner who sub-divided the land into the current lots, is certain of the sheep barge loading function. We have discounted the story about separating the sheep from a corn garden, the very poor soil there just barely supports scrub blueberry bushes.