POLAND — In 1852, there was a well-known road connecting present-day Empire Road and State Route 122 – aka Springwater Road. At that time – Springwater Road did not exist in its current layout. As a result, the older road served as one of the main routes between Poland and New Gloucester. Although this road has no recorded name, it was home to a number of well-established farms and homesteads. By 1905, Springwater Road had been reconfigured to serve as the primary route; and by 1940, the unnamed road had been largely abandoned. There’s little evidence today of the activity that was once prevalent in this area.
Join the Poland Historical Society on Saturday, July 15 for a site walk on Poland’s Forgotten Road. Attendees will meet at the Old School House in the Municipal Complex for a brief slide show at 1 p.m.: Afterward, they’ll relocate to a separate location for the walking tour at around 2 p.m. Participants should be prepared to walk approximately 1 ½ miles on moderately flat and well-developed trails with short, off-trail detours to check out abandoned homesteads. It’s summer in Maine – so dress appropriately for ticks and other biting insects. This is a particularly buggy area – so head nets should definitely be considered! Parking at the trail location is limited – so participants should plan to carpool if possible. A suggested $5 donation will benefit Maine State Parks.
Please note: Participation in the site walk will be limited to the first 25 people that sign up through the PHS Facebook page at facebook.com/polandmainehistory. A repeat event will be held at a future date if there is sufficient interest.
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