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Turtle Trail 2

Come and follow the Turtle Trail to learn about the history and nature of Martins Pond.

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• Martins Pond was a resource for the early settlers. Fishing and hunting provided food, natural grass growth fed livestock, and harvested winter ice kept food cold - before the electric refrigerator. Each January farmers cut ice blocks to store at the farm for the next summer. In the late 1800's the Uptons built an Ice House at Holt's Grove to store and sell large amounts of ice. A huge conveyor belt carried the ice from the water's edge up to the ice house where it was packed in sawdust.
• By 1900 streetcars arrived in North Reading making it easier to visit. The 2 hour bumpy ride from Boston cost 10 cents/5 cents per child. A few built summer camps near the "Holt's Grove" trolley stop near Batchelder Ave. MacIntire's store opened there selling ice cream, food, and housing boats. J. D. Gowing and an American Indian named Arrow Man bought much of the land around the pond, hoping to sell house lots. Gowing bought the East side, and Arrow Man bought the West. Arrow Man set up Arrow Village with cottages named Wigwam, Buffalo and Honeybee.
• After World War I the land around Martins Pond began to sell rapidly. Mr. Gowing and the Arrow Man advertised it as a resort area. Throughout the 20's and 30's, clubs around the pond sponsored outings on holidays. The Kunkshamooshaw Klub had a "Horrible Parade" with people in funny costumes. Races, fishing derby's, 4th of July fireworks, and bootleg parties were held. The Martins Pond Social Club, at the corner of Burroughs and Old Andover, held weekly dances and Sunday Catholic services. Collections started there helped build North Reading's first Catholic church in 1931 where the K of C now stands on Rte. 28. The Pond Club was a popular dance and pouring spot at the corner of Burroughs and Lakeside. On the West side of the pond, Mrs. Anna Bryant held Sunday school in her home. The women of the area camps raised money and built and founded the Martins Pond Union Baptist Church in 1927.
• The Great Depression (1929-1935) brought an end to many of the activities on the pond. Many people who lost their jobs started to winterize and move into their summer cottages at the pond. Martins Pond became a residential community.
• The Skug River enters the pond from the North. Enough water flows through the pond to empty and fill it 20 times each year, or every 18 days. Skug is the Indian name for Skunk. The sandy land at Batchelder Avenue to the East is an old alternate route of the river.

Major funding for the Turtle Trail project was provided by the Martins Pond Association. Special thanks to the North Reading Business Association and the North Reading Park and Recreation Department. This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Lake and Pond Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management.

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