A Walk to Wachusett
Encyclopedia
A Walk to Wachusett is an essay penned by Henry David Thoreau
accounting an excursion
he took with a companion, Richard Fuller, from Concord, Massachusetts
to the summit of Mount Wachusett
located in Princeton, Massachusetts
. Their journey, by foot, began on July 19, 1842. Traveling through Acton, Stow, Bolton, Lancaster and Sterling, they arrived in West Sterling by sunset and lodged overnight at a local inn, most likely the Milton Buss Inn and Tavern.
Reaching the summit the following day, the pair had traveled a distance of approximately 34 miles (54.7 km). Their time on the summit was spent exploring, relaxing and pondering the landscape and its inhabitants. On the third day, they traveled to Harvard, Massachusetts
, leaving in the morning of the fourth day as "one bent his steps to the nearer village of Groton, the other took his separate and solitary way to the peaceful meadows of Concord ...."
The signature line of the essay, "Wachusett is, in fact, the observatory of the state" was rewritten from a similar line by Princeton native Charles Theodore Russell in his book ″History of Princeton″ published in 1838.
First published in the January 1843 issue of The Boston Miscellany
, this was perhaps the first of Thoreau's works describing excursions he took over the years. Later trips, including a return to Wachusett in October 1854 as well as trips to Maine
, New Hampshire
and Vermont
are documented in his journals.
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
accounting an excursion
Excursion
An excursion is a trip by a group of people, usually made for leisure, education, or physical purposes. It is often an adjunct to a longer journey or visit to a place, sometimes for other purposes....
he took with a companion, Richard Fuller, from Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
to the summit of Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett is located in the towns of Princeton and Westminster in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a...
located in Princeton, Massachusetts
Princeton, Massachusetts
Princeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden....
. Their journey, by foot, began on July 19, 1842. Traveling through Acton, Stow, Bolton, Lancaster and Sterling, they arrived in West Sterling by sunset and lodged overnight at a local inn, most likely the Milton Buss Inn and Tavern.
Reaching the summit the following day, the pair had traveled a distance of approximately 34 miles (54.7 km). Their time on the summit was spent exploring, relaxing and pondering the landscape and its inhabitants. On the third day, they traveled to Harvard, Massachusetts
Harvard, Massachusetts
Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several non-traditional communities, such as Harvard Shaker Village and the utopian Transcendentalist center Fruitlands...
, leaving in the morning of the fourth day as "one bent his steps to the nearer village of Groton, the other took his separate and solitary way to the peaceful meadows of Concord ...."
The signature line of the essay, "Wachusett is, in fact, the observatory of the state" was rewritten from a similar line by Princeton native Charles Theodore Russell in his book ″History of Princeton″ published in 1838.
First published in the January 1843 issue of The Boston Miscellany
The Boston Miscellany
The Boston Miscellany of Literature and Fashion was a monthly literary and fashion magazine published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1842 and 1843....
, this was perhaps the first of Thoreau's works describing excursions he took over the years. Later trips, including a return to Wachusett in October 1854 as well as trips to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
are documented in his journals.
External links
- An online copy of the text is maintained by The Walden Woods Project.