Spencer State Forest
Encyclopedia
Spencer State Forest, located in Spencer, Massachusetts
, is a 965 acre (391 ha) forest and recreation reserve managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The 92 mile (148 km) Midstate Trail passes through the state forest. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
also conducts logging in some parts of the property.
, the inventor of the sewing machine
. The Howe Pond parcel (sometimes referred to as Howe Park) includes a mill pond and dam constructed by the inventor. Swimming is permitted in the pond; lifeguards are present in season. The Howe Pond parcel also includes picnic tables and outdoor grills. It is located off Massachusetts Route 31 via Howe Pond Road.
The Midstate Trail passes through a parcel of Spencer State Forest located in north Spencer, in the area of Turkey Hill Brook. A primitive lean-to
for overnight campers is located on the property atop the 1,014 foot (309 m) drumlin
Buck Hill. A parking lot is located off McCormick Road in Spencer.
The overall geography includes hilly terrain, creeks, wetlands, and transitional oak-hickory
to northern hardwood
forest types.
Spencer, Massachusetts
Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,688 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer , Massachusetts....
, is a 965 acre (391 ha) forest and recreation reserve managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The 92 mile (148 km) Midstate Trail passes through the state forest. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
also conducts logging in some parts of the property.
Geography
Spencer State Forest is divided among three non-contiguous parcels. The most notable of these, located in south Spencer, is the Howe Pond parcel, an estate formerly belonging to Elias HoweElias Howe
Elias Howe, Jr. was an American inventor and sewing machine pioneer.-Early life & family:Howe was born on July 9, 1819 to Dr. Elias Howe, Sr. and Polly Howe in Spencer, Massachusetts. Howe spent his childhood and early adult years in Massachusetts where he apprenticed in a textile factory in...
, the inventor of the sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
. The Howe Pond parcel (sometimes referred to as Howe Park) includes a mill pond and dam constructed by the inventor. Swimming is permitted in the pond; lifeguards are present in season. The Howe Pond parcel also includes picnic tables and outdoor grills. It is located off Massachusetts Route 31 via Howe Pond Road.
The Midstate Trail passes through a parcel of Spencer State Forest located in north Spencer, in the area of Turkey Hill Brook. A primitive lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
for overnight campers is located on the property atop the 1,014 foot (309 m) drumlin
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
Buck Hill. A parking lot is located off McCormick Road in Spencer.
The overall geography includes hilly terrain, creeks, wetlands, and transitional oak-hickory
Oak-hickory forest
The oak-hickory forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem with a range extending from southern New England and New York, west to Iowa, and south to Northern Georgia. Smaller, isolated Oak-Hickory communities can also be found as far west as North Dakota, south to Florida and...
to northern hardwood
Northern hardwood forest
The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central Canada, extending south into the United States in northern New England and New York, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario...
forest types.
