Hopbox LbNA #8169
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 8, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | East Haddam |
| County: | Middlesex |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | strzalka4 |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Sep 10, 2013 |
| Status: | FFaaaaFFFFFFFFFFFaaa |
| Last edited: | Sep 23, 2015 |
Brandy's notes:
In 2007, Devil's Hopyard, Gilette Castle, and other parks in that area, were hit by a brazen letterbox thief. One day that summer, Sparky Butterfly and I went to the Hopyard after hearing lots of missing box reports to see what was going on there. We were saddened to find that many boxes in this park were indeed stolen, but this easy drive-by was still there. Brandy pulled the box, since the original placers (The Lovers) are no longer active in letterboxing. The plan was for the box to hang out at Brandy's for a few months, or until the box-stealing blew over. Four years later, Brandy came across the Hopbox while decluttering! It's back in its home, and with a new logbook. I'm adopting it to get it out of the basement so more people can find it. :)
Devil's Hopyard State Park
East Haddam, CT
366 Hopyard Road
East Haddam, CT 06423
860-873-8566
Open Year-Round - Free Entry
This should take about 20 minutes if you do nothing but find the box. Spend some time to enjoy Chapman Falls, and listen to the music of falling water... There are also other boxes hidden in the Hopyard, Curious George and the Giat's Chair, and Devil in the Hopyard. All bearings in our directions are magnetic.
From CT Route 9: take Exit 7, then a left at the end of the exit ramp onto CT Route 154 north. Take a right at the first traffic light and follow the signs.
From Interstate 395: take Exit 80 west. Take a right onto CT Route 82 west. Take a right onto Hopyard Road and follow signs.
From I-91S: take Exit 22. Take Route 9S, Exit 10. Take Route 9AS to Tylerville. Take Route 82E over CT River for about 3 miles. At the stop sign take a right, and then take immediate left. Follow that road for approximately 8 miles, then follow the signs.
We come in on Hopyard Rd. turning north off of State Rt. 82. Scenic little drive along the northern part of Eightmile River.
History & Lore:
In 1919, the former State Park and Forest Commission obtained an 860 acre parcel located in the Millington section of Haddam. The principle feature of the park, Chapman Falls drops more than sixty feet over a series of steps in a Scotland Schist stone formation. The falls also once powered "Beebe's Mills" which were named after the original owner. The mills operated until the mid 1890's.
The explanations for the name "Devil's Hopyard" run quite a gamut, from ghouls reportedly seen among the hops vines to weekly dances, or hops, run by a man named Devlin. The explanations don't satisfy historians, but they do say something about the imaginations of New England's early settlers.
One tale interests both geology and history fans. At the base of 60-foot Chapman Falls are a number of perfect cylinders, called "potholes," bored into the stone by pebbles caught in eddying water. Early settlers speculated that the Devil was so angered by getting his tail wet in the falls that his hooves burned holes in the rock as he hopped around in distress.
The "Connecticut Outdoor Recreation Guide," published by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association; "Connecticut Place Names," by A.H. Hughes and M.S. Alien; and "Connecticut, A New Guide," by William Bixby, recount several theories on how Devils Hopyard gots its name.
The name Devil's Hopyard was first used in connection with Devil's Kettle, a large circular hole on Kettle Hill. A large cavelike opening in a ledge on the opposite bank of the river was called Devil's Cave or Devil's Oven.
At one time, a quarter-acre field of hops grew alongside the road. The Hopyard portion of the name could have come from the malt house of Malt House Brook, 3 miles to the south. Historians also speculate that hops may have been soaked in potholes that were worn in rocks below Chapman Fails.
But, where did the devil come from? Supposedly, a man named
Dibble grew hops in the area. Converting his name to Devil wasn't a large stretch, but more fascinating are the spine-tingling tales told by early residents. One is of a minister's son who was abducted by a man with formidable horns. Another tells of a boy who was seized by a man with a head like a bull and taken on a wild wagon ride down Kettle Hill. Residents also believed that the devil sat above Chapman Falls, playing his violin, while directing witches as they mixed magic potions -beer?- in the potholes.
Devil's Hopyard may have a folklore devil, but it had a real angel: Miss A.G. Willard of Colchester. In 1919, she urged the state park and forest commission to do something to stop a logging operation in the area. Within a month, the state bought the land, the logging stopped, and it became a state park for all to enjoy.
There are more than 15 miles of hiking trails (mostly also suitable for mountain biking), which lead through a variety of terrains, from hemlock forest to marsh to river shore. One trail leads to a scenic vista; another extends outside the park to the town of Millington.
The park is used by cross-country skiers and snowshoers.
While the sounds of Moodus will intrigue visitors, the setting of Devil's Hopyard will truly tap into the deep recesses of visitors' imaginations. The craggy landscape is the perfect setting for the supernatural and a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. For centuries, the 860 acre State Park was used by Native Americans as a meeting and gathering place. According to some local legends, the park is named for Satan himself, who reportedly played in the house band while the Black Witches of Haddam held sabbat. The Dark One reportedly enjoyed a perch atop Chapman's Falls, a 60 foot waterfall in the park's center.
Whether or not you choose to believe these legends, the tales certainly provide fodder for guests in search of legends and settings that inspire the imagination.
Find your way to the main entrance on Hopyard rd., and park by the picnic area along the river by the wooden covered bridge.
Walk towards the sound of rushing water to the north along the river in the picnic area. Find the steps at the upstream end of the picnic area. Go up 19 steps, and you will encounter a side trail to your right, which leads to a spectacular view of the bottom of Chapman Falls.
From where you turned off at the top of the 19 steps, continue uphill, up more steps, then northwards towards the falls. Cross two wooden bridges, the second one crossing over the falls, then turn right to a pine bower. Directly south of the pine is a sign reading ”Let the Water do the falling.” From this sign walk 15 fence posts east (beware of poison ivy!) until you are south of a giant wooden “V.” Face north and look inside the hollow in the tree under some rocks. Be discreet as you are somewhat exposed!
Be sure to look for other letterboxes in the Devil's Hopyard while you are there, Curious George and the Giant's Chair, Devil in the Hopyard and the Birthday Cake letterbox are not far away!
In 2007, Devil's Hopyard, Gilette Castle, and other parks in that area, were hit by a brazen letterbox thief. One day that summer, Sparky Butterfly and I went to the Hopyard after hearing lots of missing box reports to see what was going on there. We were saddened to find that many boxes in this park were indeed stolen, but this easy drive-by was still there. Brandy pulled the box, since the original placers (The Lovers) are no longer active in letterboxing. The plan was for the box to hang out at Brandy's for a few months, or until the box-stealing blew over. Four years later, Brandy came across the Hopbox while decluttering! It's back in its home, and with a new logbook. I'm adopting it to get it out of the basement so more people can find it. :)
Devil's Hopyard State Park
East Haddam, CT
366 Hopyard Road
East Haddam, CT 06423
860-873-8566
Open Year-Round - Free Entry
This should take about 20 minutes if you do nothing but find the box. Spend some time to enjoy Chapman Falls, and listen to the music of falling water... There are also other boxes hidden in the Hopyard, Curious George and the Giat's Chair, and Devil in the Hopyard. All bearings in our directions are magnetic.
From CT Route 9: take Exit 7, then a left at the end of the exit ramp onto CT Route 154 north. Take a right at the first traffic light and follow the signs.
From Interstate 395: take Exit 80 west. Take a right onto CT Route 82 west. Take a right onto Hopyard Road and follow signs.
From I-91S: take Exit 22. Take Route 9S, Exit 10. Take Route 9AS to Tylerville. Take Route 82E over CT River for about 3 miles. At the stop sign take a right, and then take immediate left. Follow that road for approximately 8 miles, then follow the signs.
We come in on Hopyard Rd. turning north off of State Rt. 82. Scenic little drive along the northern part of Eightmile River.
History & Lore:
In 1919, the former State Park and Forest Commission obtained an 860 acre parcel located in the Millington section of Haddam. The principle feature of the park, Chapman Falls drops more than sixty feet over a series of steps in a Scotland Schist stone formation. The falls also once powered "Beebe's Mills" which were named after the original owner. The mills operated until the mid 1890's.
The explanations for the name "Devil's Hopyard" run quite a gamut, from ghouls reportedly seen among the hops vines to weekly dances, or hops, run by a man named Devlin. The explanations don't satisfy historians, but they do say something about the imaginations of New England's early settlers.
One tale interests both geology and history fans. At the base of 60-foot Chapman Falls are a number of perfect cylinders, called "potholes," bored into the stone by pebbles caught in eddying water. Early settlers speculated that the Devil was so angered by getting his tail wet in the falls that his hooves burned holes in the rock as he hopped around in distress.
The "Connecticut Outdoor Recreation Guide," published by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association; "Connecticut Place Names," by A.H. Hughes and M.S. Alien; and "Connecticut, A New Guide," by William Bixby, recount several theories on how Devils Hopyard gots its name.
The name Devil's Hopyard was first used in connection with Devil's Kettle, a large circular hole on Kettle Hill. A large cavelike opening in a ledge on the opposite bank of the river was called Devil's Cave or Devil's Oven.
At one time, a quarter-acre field of hops grew alongside the road. The Hopyard portion of the name could have come from the malt house of Malt House Brook, 3 miles to the south. Historians also speculate that hops may have been soaked in potholes that were worn in rocks below Chapman Fails.
But, where did the devil come from? Supposedly, a man named
Dibble grew hops in the area. Converting his name to Devil wasn't a large stretch, but more fascinating are the spine-tingling tales told by early residents. One is of a minister's son who was abducted by a man with formidable horns. Another tells of a boy who was seized by a man with a head like a bull and taken on a wild wagon ride down Kettle Hill. Residents also believed that the devil sat above Chapman Falls, playing his violin, while directing witches as they mixed magic potions -beer?- in the potholes.
Devil's Hopyard may have a folklore devil, but it had a real angel: Miss A.G. Willard of Colchester. In 1919, she urged the state park and forest commission to do something to stop a logging operation in the area. Within a month, the state bought the land, the logging stopped, and it became a state park for all to enjoy.
There are more than 15 miles of hiking trails (mostly also suitable for mountain biking), which lead through a variety of terrains, from hemlock forest to marsh to river shore. One trail leads to a scenic vista; another extends outside the park to the town of Millington.
The park is used by cross-country skiers and snowshoers.
While the sounds of Moodus will intrigue visitors, the setting of Devil's Hopyard will truly tap into the deep recesses of visitors' imaginations. The craggy landscape is the perfect setting for the supernatural and a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. For centuries, the 860 acre State Park was used by Native Americans as a meeting and gathering place. According to some local legends, the park is named for Satan himself, who reportedly played in the house band while the Black Witches of Haddam held sabbat. The Dark One reportedly enjoyed a perch atop Chapman's Falls, a 60 foot waterfall in the park's center.
Whether or not you choose to believe these legends, the tales certainly provide fodder for guests in search of legends and settings that inspire the imagination.
Find your way to the main entrance on Hopyard rd., and park by the picnic area along the river by the wooden covered bridge.
Walk towards the sound of rushing water to the north along the river in the picnic area. Find the steps at the upstream end of the picnic area. Go up 19 steps, and you will encounter a side trail to your right, which leads to a spectacular view of the bottom of Chapman Falls.
From where you turned off at the top of the 19 steps, continue uphill, up more steps, then northwards towards the falls. Cross two wooden bridges, the second one crossing over the falls, then turn right to a pine bower. Directly south of the pine is a sign reading ”Let the Water do the falling.” From this sign walk 15 fence posts east (beware of poison ivy!) until you are south of a giant wooden “V.” Face north and look inside the hollow in the tree under some rocks. Be discreet as you are somewhat exposed!
Be sure to look for other letterboxes in the Devil's Hopyard while you are there, Curious George and the Giant's Chair, Devil in the Hopyard and the Birthday Cake letterbox are not far away!