61° and Sunny
Image
About once a month for the last few years Beth and I have walked Stonehaven Nature Preserve with Gord, our poodle. It is among his favorite places and usually we don’t see more than a few people at the former scout camp.
Sunday was no exception. There were a few signs of spring but not many. The quarry remained icebound. Every photo today except for the one of the pretty girl in the orange pants was taken by Beth Genco.
As we finished our walk walk leave, we paused to look at the sign erected last spring as an Eagle Project by Paul Olszewski of Cambria’s Troop 8 celebrating the legacy of the camp on one side with a map on the other. Here is a transcription of the history side of the sign. The map above is a photo of the sign.
I don’t know Paul but good job and good luck for a bright future.
It is a great place to visit. The location is 4670 Simmons Road, Ransomville, NY 14131
Pre 1700s to early 1700s
SENECA NATION HERITAGE: The land was originally inhabited by the Seneca Nation, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy which also included the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida and Cayuga. In the 1700s the Tuscarora joined. The Seneca used the land for hunting, settlement and trade. As the United States expanded, treaties with native tribes, including the Seneca, led to the loss of ancestral lands.
Late 1700s to early 1800s
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Holland Land Company, which acquired large tracts of land in Western New York, began selling this land to settlers and industrial companies. The shift contributed to the displacement of the Seneca. Stone quarrying started in the area, marking the beginning of industrial development.
Late 1800s to early 1900s
INDUSTRIAL LEGACY: The land became a key location for stone mining, shaping the landscape. Quarrying activity dramatically altered the area. Some of the lakes in the preserve were once quarries that filled with water, leaving behind remnants of the region’s industrial past.
1947
CAMP STONEHAVEN: The Niagara Frontier Scout Council acquired the 65-acre site, adding three main cabins, several leantos and numerous campsites. The land became space for weekend troop camping, camporees and other Scouting activities.
2023
STONEHAVEN PRESERVE: The Town of Lewiston acquired the land and set out to transform it into a vibrant community park. Key improvements included better access to walking trails and fishing spots around the lakes. The project was made possible through funding from a State Department of Environmental Conservation Community Forest Preservation Grant and the Niagara River Greenway Ecological Fund.
