Weir Hill
Encyclopedia
Weir Hill Reservation is a 194 acre (0.78509084 km²) park located in the town of North Andover, Massachusetts
. The Trustees of Reservations
owns and maintains the property, however it is open to public use.
settlement of the area, the Weir Hill area was used by Algonquian
peoples. A 1968 archaeological
survey identified a campsite at the southeast end of the reservation. It is likely that Native Americans
periodically set fire to the hill to improve the landscape for deer hunting
and used fishing weir
s to catch alewives
in Cochichewick Brook before they reached Lake Cochichewick
to spawn. The reservation takes its name from these weirs.
In the mid 17th century, early settlers cleared the slopes of Weir Hill for grazing
sheep and cattle
. In the 18th and 19th centuries, milldam
s were built along Cochichewick Brook to lumber
- and gristmill
s.
, Weir Hill offers hiking
trails that pass over the crest of the 305 feet (93 m) double drumlin
and track the shore of the lake. A rail trail
runs along part of the hill, overlooking Lake Cochichewick. Many North Andover residents also use the trail system for cross-country
, mountain biking
, and it's shores to go swimming.
Generations of agricultural use, wildfire
, cutting and mowing have created a patchwork landscape on Weir Hill that supports ten different types of plant communities including a 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) oak
and hickory
, hillside seeps, intermittent streams, and wet meadow
s. Several threatened species
can be found on Weir Hill, including the white bog orchid
, violet bush clover
and butternut trees.
Beginning with the park's establishment in 1968, Weir Hill has been expanded numerous times since to include more woodland
s and conservation area.
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...
. The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
owns and maintains the property, however it is open to public use.
History
Prior to EuropeanEuropean ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlement of the area, the Weir Hill area was used by Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
peoples. A 1968 archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
survey identified a campsite at the southeast end of the reservation. It is likely that Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
periodically set fire to the hill to improve the landscape for deer hunting
Deer hunting
Deer hunting is survival hunting or sport hunting, harvesting deer, dating back to tens of thousands of years ago. Which occurred though out Europe Asia and North America There are numerous types of deer throughout the world that are hunted.- New Zealand :...
and used fishing weir
Fishing weir
A fishing weir, or fish weir, is an obstruction placed in tidal waters or wholly or partially across a river, which is designed to hinder the passage of fish. Traditionally they were built from wood or stones. They can be used to trap fish...
s to catch alewives
Alewife
The alewife is a species of herring. There are anadromous and landlocked forms. The landlocked form is also called a sawbelly or mooneye...
in Cochichewick Brook before they reached Lake Cochichewick
Lake Cochichewick
Lake Cochichewick is a lake in North Andover, Massachusetts that collects water from Weir Hill and other local uplands. Its overflow drains into the Cochichewick River, which joins the Merrimack...
to spawn. The reservation takes its name from these weirs.
In the mid 17th century, early settlers cleared the slopes of Weir Hill for grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
sheep and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. In the 18th and 19th centuries, milldam
Milldam
A milldam is a dam constructed on a waterway to create a mill pond.Water passing through a dam's spillway is used to turn a water wheel and provide energy to the many varieties of watermill...
s were built along Cochichewick Brook to lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
- and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s.
Modern use and conservation
Rising gently above Lake CochichewickLake Cochichewick
Lake Cochichewick is a lake in North Andover, Massachusetts that collects water from Weir Hill and other local uplands. Its overflow drains into the Cochichewick River, which joins the Merrimack...
, Weir Hill offers hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails that pass over the crest of the 305 feet (93 m) double 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:...
and track the shore of the lake. A rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
runs along part of the hill, overlooking Lake Cochichewick. Many North Andover residents also use the trail system for cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and it's shores to go swimming.
Generations of agricultural use, wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
, cutting and mowing have created a patchwork landscape on Weir Hill that supports ten different types of plant communities including a 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
, hillside seeps, intermittent streams, and wet meadow
Wet meadow
A wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
s. Several threatened species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
can be found on Weir Hill, including the white bog orchid
Habenaria
Habenaria, commonly called bog orchids, are a far ranging genus of orchid, one of approximately 800 described Orchidaceae genera within that large and diverse family. There are species in both tropical and temperate zones.-Description:...
, violet bush clover
Lespedeza
Lespedeza is a genus of some 40 species of flowering plants in the pea family , commonly known as bush clovers or Japanese clovers...
and butternut trees.
Beginning with the park's establishment in 1968, Weir Hill has been expanded numerous times since to include more woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s and conservation area.