Metcalf road

 


Metcalf road


     Officially, Metcalf Road runs southeast off Holderness road (route 113) down along the western side of Squaw Cove to Metcalf Point, Squam lake. It was laid out by the local selectmen in 1825 as the Gilbert Hodgdon's road (who died in 1838.)  In personal terms Metcalf Road is the beautiful path to Bear Cove and a major part of the Bone experience. Several Metcalf families were early inhabitants whose name appears on Point Metcalf and "the road." The first most probably Henry Brown Metcalf who was born in 1818 but never seemed to set foot in NH. The place name can be easily traced back to the grand dame Isabel Harris Metcalf who was the mother of E. Harris Metcalf who died in an automobile accident in N.H. in 1945 at the age of 65 but not before siring the indomitable Daphne Metcalf Mowatt in 1923 who ruled "the road" with a withering scowl during my visits as if it were her own personal fiefdom. Her grandmama Isabel Harris Metcalf, born in 1853 was the daughter of a very successful mill owner and was active in a movement to achieve world peace after World War 1. She even travelled to attend the first League of Nations. Sweet Daphne lived on the road for so long her residence in the 1950 census is  Roads E of 25, Sandwich, Carroll, New Hampshire. The Metcalf heirs owned six camps along the road including dear Bear Cove that was appreciated for it's Maine Lodge style design that dates back to the 19th century. In the early years families brought maids and cooks with them and provided lodgings for the help but not on the lake side of properties. The Ziesings were able to buy their magical camp in the 1970's after falling in love with Squam lake in the 1960's. Bear Cove was actually a place where dear Daphne once roved as a bratty kid. For me Metcalf road was a place where I took walks while swatting mosquitos including one memorable ramble with Lissy where I was filled in on the genealogy of the Ziesings, Sinclairs, Adams and the Sheehy band of lake humptons. On my most enjoyable rides with Greg to Holderness we saw a couple of bears and several deer in the woods off the road. 




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