Here is a little history of the people that spent so much time shaping our wooded play ground. These are some of the folks that created the stone walls and cellar holes that our trails cris-cross on the Pinnacle trail system.

Vance Coit was the most prominent black man in the small "colony of negroes" that settled high on the hill above Newport. He "made his home near its summit" and was a man of character. In a story past down through the years:
"A neighbor, having some hay in a condition in which it would spoil unless taken care of on the Sabbath, applied to Vance for help, offering him a pound of sugar if he would assist in getting it it. Vance, with much apparent indignation, replied, "Do you think I would have my soul fry in hell to all eternity for a pound of sugar? No!"-then added, "Give me two pounds, and I will risk it."
Other notable men of the colony, Jesse Sherburn, a boot-black, I think this is another name for a shoe shiner. "He was a clever man, given to fun and poetry. Meeting the Rev. Mr. Woods one morning, he said, "Sir, you shines the soul of men; I shines their uppers!" There was also Charles Hall who was escaped from Florida by Dea. Jonathan Cutting's of Newport. "Charles was a jolly soul, and few ever plied him with a joke who did not get back a repartee that made them willing to quit even."
There are a few other men that are named in the History of Newport but no other information was given of their lives here

The interesting thing is the 1860 map of Newport shows the upper cellar hole belonging to an S. Crowell and the cellar hole on the Pinnacle is not even on it. In the History of Newport no dates are given for when this "colony of negroes".
Hope you enjoyed the read. Nathan
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

You wetted the appetite, now we crave more........

already thinking of ways to honor them......can't believe that cellar hole didn't make the map......but it probably wasn't that old. Early 1900's. With exception of that big tree on the corner there isn't many 100 year old trees up near those parts.

thanks for looking it up.

PJ

We should be able to dig some fresh trail names out of that history.

Hall Run
Sherburn Shine
Vance
C.O.N Hill

Probably should get Dodd in there as well. I got it!!!! Dodd Trail!
 
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I don't know how old those big white pines are, but there are a few biggen's like the one that snapped at the entrance of Pine Link .
What to make of the Pinnacle cellar hole? I would guess the area was settled in the 1830-40 during the wool craze that swept New England. As legends go most of the stone walls and land was cleared during this time. By the 1850 the land had soured from over grazing and many people were going broke, they sold out and moved away.
The History of Newport was printed 1878 and the map in 1860 well after this time, which would explain the lack of concrete information we have now. So I would guess the Pinnacle cellar hole wasn't there until after 1860.
I'd like to know what was ment by the term "colony". Did all these blacks live with or around Vance Coit in out buildings in a communal way? The writing say his home was near the summit. Do we know of any other building foundations on top? Or is the cellar hole off of Summer Street Ext. Vance's farm and merely a transcription of what was told and not seen by the writer? FYI Summer St. ends at the cellar hole and did not continue to the Cuttings farm (where Outback is cut) on the 1860 map.
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

Any of you guys are welcome to come to the Town Office some day and look over the old record books we have. they go all the way back to getting the Town Charter from King George in the 1760's. It takes a long time to look them over and sometimes they are hard to read but there is much interesting stuff in them.
Dan

Thanks for the reminder Dan, I need to take you up on that.
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?