Striar Conservancy in Halifax. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Wildlands Trust’s land conservation work is all about context. No parcel is protected before the staff scrutinizes its place within regional trends in ecology and land use. Last month, I decided it was time for “Human History of Wildlands” to adopt the same approach. In accordance with Wildlands’ decades-long initiative to protect land along the Taunton River, I zoomed out my lens from individual preserves to the entire Taunton River watershed. From this 30,000-foot view, much came into focus about how the region has evolved over time and why it’s so critical to protect. For the next few months, I will zoom back in to the diverse histories of Wildlands preserves within the Taunton River watershed. But first, I encourage you to read "Human History of Wildlands: The Taunton River Watershed." It is from this context that the following accounts will come to life.

Striar Conservancy is a 162-acre Wildlands showcase preserve located in Halifax, on the northern bank of the Winnetuxet River. It was acquired by Wildlands in 1999 from the Striar family, with hiking trails established the following year. The Town of Halifax's Randall-Hilliard Preserve abuts Striar from the south, creating a cushion of undeveloped land on both sides of the Winnetuxet.

The area that would become Halifax was part of the 1661 "Twenty-six Men's Purchase" by settlers from the Plymouth Colony. The land contained parts of several current towns, including Middleborough, Plympton, Pembroke, and Halifax. In 1669, one of these 26 men, John Tomson, built his house on a large landholding of 6,000 acres on the Winnetuxet River. What would become Thompson Street (named after John, albeit with an alternate spelling) was described as an ox trail and cart path between Middleborough Green and the Tomson homestead. Other settlers soon followed. The land was fairly flat, swampy, and muddy, with few rocks owing to its past as a lakebed for Glacial Lake Taunton. It did have abundant woodlands of pine, oak, and especially the highly valued cedar, clearing the way for logging to become a principal industry.

From *History of Halifax, Massachusetts* by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 126.

The initial settlers didn't prosper for long, because in 1675, King Philip's War broke out. Since their houses were spread out along Thompson Street, they could not be easily defended, and the raids burned many. John Tomson and others abandoned their homes and fled to a fort in Nemasket. Tomson took charge, but it soon became apparent that that their location was untenable, so he led the settlers to Plymouth for safety. Tomson soon became known as Halifax's "First Soldier."

The next year, Captain Benjamin Church fought and captured 120 of the Monponsett ("near the deep pond") band of the Wampanoag Tribe at White Island, imprisoning them until the end of the war in Plymouth. Monponsett was the original name for the town of Halifax, and Monponsett Pond lies near the town’s center.

When the war was over, settlers returned and rebuilt their homes, and the community grew once again. Forestry and now farming were taken up by the residents. The Winnetuxet River’s flow proved suitable for waterpower, and dams were soon built by the Thompsons, the Sturtevant family, and others. The dams powered sawmills, granaries, and a thriving charcoal industry. Remains of the Thompson Mill dam remain to this day at Striar Conservancy.

From *History of Halifax, Massachusetts* by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 168.

In 1677, the first public grammar school was formed, although for most of the next 100 years, there was no school building; instead, classes were held in private homes. In 1734, the Town of Halifax was incorporated from parts of Middleborough, Plympton, and Pembroke. Agriculture grew in importance, with cranberry cultivation leading the charge, as in the rest of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Halifax played an active role in the American Revolution, hosting the longest continuous militia company in Massachusetts. In fact, the first official mention of the war was made in Halifax, before it even began: "On December 26, 1774, it was voted that minutemen drawn out for military exercise shall have their pay for two half days in a week at 8 cents per half day." A week later, the town voted to send a member, Ebenezer Thompson, to the Provincial Congress in Cambridge.

From *History of Halifax, Massachusetts* by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 115.

Halifax experienced slow, steady growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. Forests returned to the landscape in the place of abandoned farms. Maintaining its rural character and continuing cranberry production, Halifax evolved into an attractive modern bedroom community.

Here, I have to include what some might see as a digression, but many might find entertaining. During World War II, a Halifax native made national headlines as the person who invented graffiti. His name was James Kilroy. In the 1940s, he worked at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. Perhaps out of boredom, he began signing his name on ships being built. The idea was picked up by servicemen, and soon the phrase "KILROY WAS HERE," often accompanied by a man with a big nose looking over a fence, adorned military ships, buildings, and equipment. Few might remember it now, but WWII vets and baby boomers might remember Kilroy as a local celebrity.

Kilroy engraved on the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

When you visit Striar Conservancy, the preserve’s natural history will speak louder than its human history. With pristine frontage on the Winnetuxet River, five certified vernal pools, and various other woodland and wetland habitats, Striar is home to as much wildlife as any Wildlands property. But when you imagine the battles fought, products made, and communities sustained in the area, the human stories are equally audible—if you’re willing to listen.