GC31R48 - Welcome to Waltham
By: Muggle B
1. Here is the puzzle.
Posted Coordinates: N 44° 45.469 W 090° 19.275
Geocache Description
Welcome to Waltham, or some of you might know it as Spencer.
This puzzle cache is a history lesson about Spencer that requires some internet research and some field work to find the cache. The cache is not at the posted coordinates but you will still have to go there to retrieve some information.
The cache is at N 44 4A.BCD W 90 1E.FGH
According to old records, the first settlers in the area were Reuben Ring of New York state accompanied by his brother, Isaac, his sister, Mrs. Saunders and their mother, Susannah.
On January G, 1871 Reuben had entered a claim in the U.S. Land Office for land, now partly occupied by Land O’Lakes, The Farmer's Co-op, The Breeze Inn, Spencer Park, and Soo Line right-of-way. The Rings later owned a farm west of town, now the property of David Ingham. Susannah Ring died there in 1899 and is buried in the West Spencer Cemetery.
You will find her stone at the starting coordinates. She was born 10/HA/18B3
In June 1874, J. L. Robinson bought the eighty-acre tract where the village now is; A. J. Brock started a hotel; W. S. Meach, a butcher shop. Mr. Robinson began the mill in June, 1874. About the 4th of July four blocks were laid out of the village site, and called Irene, but this name has gone into desuetude.
While the Spencer township was founded in 1871 and established in 1877 neither of those dates are celebrated, rather we celebrate the date in which we changed the name from Waltham to Spencer on 7/CE/187D named after Spencer, MA. The actual village of Spencer was not founded until 1904.
"Scorched Again! Nearly Half the Town Burned" was the headline in the Spencer Tribune. On F/F/1886 a fire spread through town burning many buildings, churches, schools, and houses along the way. Although Spencer did not die as many lumber towns had after such an experience, the fire did bring the beginning of the end of the lumber businesses in the area. Even now 125 years after the fire, no evidence remains that the town went through such an event but Spencer still remembers that horrific day.
You can find all the information you need to solve this puzzle through a history link on the Spencer WI Wiki page except for Susannah's birth date that is found on her grave.
For further reading about the history of Spencer you can find a copy of the 1874-1974 centennial book at the Spencer public library 977.529 Sp34
Permission has been granted to place this cache by Jason Foth. Please respect the area!! So if it is being used for any reason what so ever, please come back another time (this goes for both the starting waypoint in the cemetery and especially the finals location) With both the gravestone and cache being buried in snow this cache will not be available in the winter.
2. Solve the puzzle.
Welcome to Waltham, or some of you might know it as Spencer.
This puzzle cache is a history lesson about Spencer that requires some internet research and some field work to find the cache. The cache is not at the posted coordinates but you will still have to go there to retrieve some information.
The cache is at N 44 4A.BCD W 90 1E.FGH
According to old records, the first settlers in the area were Reuben Ring of New York state accompanied by his brother, Isaac, his sister, Mrs. Saunders and their mother, Susannah.
On January G, 1871 Reuben had entered a claim in the U.S. Land Office for land, now partly occupied by Land O’Lakes, The Farmer's Co-op, The Breeze Inn, Spencer Park, and Soo Line right-of-way. The Rings later owned a farm west of town, now the property of David Ingham. Susannah Ring died there in 1899 and is buried in the West Spencer Cemetery.
You will find her stone at the starting coordinates. She was born 10/HA/18B3
In June 1874, J. L. Robinson bought the eighty-acre tract where the village now is; A. J. Brock started a hotel; W. S. Meach, a butcher shop. Mr. Robinson began the mill in June, 1874. About the 4th of July four blocks were laid out of the village site, and called Irene, but this name has gone into desuetude.
While the Spencer township was founded in 1871 and established in 1877 neither of those dates are celebrated, rather we celebrate the date in which we changed the name from Waltham to Spencer on 7/CE/187D named after Spencer, MA. The actual village of Spencer was not founded until 1904.
"Scorched Again! Nearly Half the Town Burned" was the headline in the Spencer Tribune. On F/F/1886 a fire spread through town burning many buildings, churches, schools, and houses along the way. Although Spencer did not die as many lumber towns had after such an experience, the fire did bring the beginning of the end of the lumber businesses in the area. Even now 125 years after the fire, no evidence remains that the town went through such an event but Spencer still remembers that horrific day.
You can find all the information you need to solve this puzzle through a history link on the Spencer WI Wiki page except for Susannah's birth date that is found on her grave.
For further reading about the history of Spencer you can find a copy of the 1874-1974 centennial book at the Spencer public library 977.529 Sp34
Permission has been granted to place this cache by Jason Foth. Please respect the area!! So if it is being used for any reason what so ever, please come back another time (this goes for both the starting waypoint in the cemetery and especially the finals location) With both the gravestone and cache being buried in snow this cache will not be available in the winter.
2. Solve the puzzle.
Here are valuable links with information about Waltham.
Wikipedia - Spencer, WI
Spencer Centennial Book (1874 - 1974)
Spencer Wisconsin History - freeservers
History: Spencer - WI Clark County History
Village of Spencer - WI Clark County History
Spencer History - Genealogy Trails History Group
January G, 1871 Reuben Ring had entered a claim in the U.S. Land Office (1/3/1871).
G = 3
Use Find A Grave to locate the necessary information.
Susannah Ring - (Oct. 15, 1803 - Jun. 26, 1889)
Susannah Ring was born 10/HA/18B3.
A = 5
B = 0
H = 1
A = 5
B = 0
H = 1
Renamed from Waltham to Spencer on 7/CE/187D.
(July 27, 1874)
C = 2
D = 4
E = 7
Spencer fire F/F/1886.
(August 8, 1886)
F = 8
Posted Coordinates: N 44° 45.469 W 090° 19.275
Puzzle Coordinates: N 44° 4A.BCD, W 090° 1E.FGH
Solved Coordinates:
Solved Coordinates:
N 44° 45.024, W 090° 17.831
3. Verify the Solved Coordinates.
Since there isn't a geochecker, use Google Maps to determine whether the solved coordinates seem reasonable.
Since there isn't a geochecker, use Google Maps to determine whether the solved coordinates seem reasonable.
Google Maps - solved coordinates
The solved coordinates are by the fire department flag pole garden, which looks reasonable.
Look likes the tombstone in the cemetery has a new sign. In the past the only way to get the information was difficult to obtained since the tombstone was in need of maintenance.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about any Wiki page, but here is the page with the First Paragraph information: http://genealogytrails.com/wis/marathon/history/spencer/22.htm January 3, 1871; G=3
ReplyDeleteAccording to Findagrave.com Susanna Ring was born on October 15, 1803. (Find A Grave Memorial# 120536807) That makes A = 5, B = 0, H = 1
ReplyDeleteThe information about the change from Waltham to Spencer was a bit harder to find. Here's the Webpage I used: http://spencerwis.freeservers.com/
ReplyDeleteAccording to that source, The Village of Spencer was first known as Waltham. The name was changed from Waltham to Spencer July 27, 1874 by John K. Hayward. That means C = 2, D = 4, E = 7.
http://genealogytrails.com/wis/marathon/history/spencer1881.htm On this information I found information about the Fire of 1886. "Sunday, the eighth day of August, will long be remembered as the darkest day in the history of the village, and all owing to the foolish act of a dashed fool man." I'm not exactly sure what D. F. Cressy did to be branded a 'dashed fool man', but I'm guessing he wasn't the most popular fella in town after the fire. F = 8
ReplyDeleteThere is no Geochecker, but I'm confident in my numbers based on the google maps street-view image of where they are. Good luck to the cachers!!
ReplyDelete