Bear Island cellar holes?

[Bearguy]

I am interested in identifying the old cellar holes that are located on Bear Island. I am aware of two sites on the north end of the island--the old hotel and the Bickford sites on Jerry Point. Are there any others on that end of the island? I haven't walked it enough to know. There ought to be at least one and perhaps two others.

As for the south end of the island, I am aware of four sites, all north and east of the Chapel. Reflections suggests that there is an obvious cellar hole at Camp Lawrence, but I couldn't find it nor did some long-time camp veterans know of one. There must be one (or have been one) since it was settled at least prior to 1822.

I also haven't found any cellar holes on Dolly's Point. The cemetery is obvious, and Dolly's well is apparently still findable; but I haven't found an actual cellar hole. Dolly herself probably didn't dig one, but she shared the land in that area with her brother for some time, so in all likelihood there was one.

Any insights would be appreciated. I working on a history of the settlement of the island. The most difficult pieces to pin down are the earliest settlers who dug the cellar holes and built most of the walls.

Many thanks.

[Bear Islander]

There are three cellar holes and a barn foundation, close together, to the north and slightly west of the chapel. Do you have a copy of the map? Several cellar holes are marked on it.

If you are interested in early settlers the map also shows the rock walls on the island. When you look close at the map of the walls they tell a story you miss when you walk the trails.

If you don't have a copy send me an email address.

[Bearguy]

Thanks for the response.

To which map are you referring? I don't think I have it.

But I'm pretty sure the three cellar holes you mention are among those that I know.

[Bear Islander]

Years ago I walked the island with a GPS unit attached to my hat. It recorded the exact location every 20 seconds. When loaded to a computer these location dots created a detailed map to scale. I also recorded the location of every dock, home, phone pole, and point of interest on the island.

The most interesting part of this was walking the rock walls. We see them all the time here and there but when you see them on a map they tell a story of their own.

The map is in two parts for the north and south halves of the island. The www.bearisland.org website is listed on each map.

[Bear Islander]

I notice you are new to posting. You can send me your email address using the "Private Message" feature.

[Bearguy]

I have heard about your maps and your efforts to develop a detailed view of the island, but I never got access to the BICA maps. I've emailed for a password to get on. It sounds like the precise thing I've been looking for! We've walked most of the walls and talked about using a GPS to build a map; but I wouldn't know how, and now I don't have to do it!!

As an indication of my technical skills, I would send you a private message with my email address if I could figure out how to do it. I'll keep trying to find the combination.

Regardless, I look forward to meeting you at some point.

Many thanks.

[Bear Islander]

To send a Private Message click on the blue "Bear Islander" name to the left of one of my posts. A window will open with some links, one of them is to send a PM.

I have sent you an email.

[Barney Bear]

There is a small cellar hole located near the power line southeast of the canoe carry on East Bear Island. The cellar hole at Camp Lawrence is located along the West Beach trail. It has a huge [diameter] pine tree in the center of the hole. This pine tree could be well over two centuries old.

[Bearguy]

I am aware of the cellar hole on SE Bear. Regarding the Lawrence cellar hole, where does the west beach trail run. I'm generally familiar with the camp and know west beach and the cabin there. Are you referring to a trail that seems to head to the basketball court area or one that runs more southerly across the island towards the main lodge? Or perhaps another?

Many thanks!

[Barney Bear]

The West Beach trail starts from the Senior area at the top of the hill beyond Hamblet Lodge and runs to the west shore of the island near the old West Beach Cottage, and south of the chapel which is located on the rocky rise just north of the beach where the campers' water skiing and wake boarding programs are held.