Excerpt from Henry S. Nourse’s “History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893,” written in 1894.
Aboriginal Makamacheckamucks has been degraded by vulgar usage to plebian Prospect Hill. Its highest point is 557 feet above the tide level. The old Lancaster and Groton road, which passes over it at an elevation of about 500 feet, is a favorite drive, frequented by lovers of beautiful scenery from all the towns about.
It was to this locality that Colonel Henry Bromfield was in the habit of taking his guests from the city or foreign lands, confident of being rewarded by their unqualified expressions of admiration, however extended might have been their experience of travel. Despite its glorious outlook and present popular repute, in earlier times for many a year this highway Grotonward from its parting with the road that leads to Harvard centre was generally known as Hog Street, probably in disrespectful allusion to the attributes of some residents thereon. The more southern portion of this highway was once appropriately termed Willard Row. An enormous boulder or ledge by the roadside, not far from the summit, is named Castle Rock in records as early as 1754.
The term Prospect Hill is commonplace and unworthy the locality. The Indian name of this wood-capped height should be at once restored. As in all designations of places in the Indian tongue, the word Makamacheckamucks doubtless has inherent in it a poetically descriptive significance, alas! forever lost to us. But a title so sesquipedalian and mouth-filling should be preserved, as being not only historically but phonetically appropriate to the long, rock-strewn rampart that forms the eastern boundary of the Plumtree intervales, and overlooks the whole upper Nashua valley.
The view from this ridge down upon sinuous river and tree-shadowed meadows, and off over the domed hills of a score of towns to the southern spurs of the White Mountain range, is unsurpassed by any purely rural scenery in the commonwealth, in its breadth, quiet harmony, and wealth of color ever changing with the varying moods of nature No discordant scars, no craggy cliff, no grandeur of sky-piercing peak are there to arrest the eye or disturb the unity and restfulness of the scene; but there is no lack of impressive feature or charming variety.
Seen at bright noonday in the season when the air is filled with the perfume of apple blossoms and all the valley is lush with fresh verdure, it is another Arcadia than when the polychromatic glory of its autumnal dress is lighted up by an October sunrise. In striking contrast with both is the winter’s scene, when the profiles of Wachusett, Watatic, Monadock, Kidder, Pack Monadnock, Jo. English, the Uncanoonucks, and the Blue Hills south of Winnipiseogee are seen sharply defined against the cold, grey sky, and the nearer landscape is a wide expanse of dazzling snow, relieved by numerous masses of sombre pine forest.
Another noteworthy phase it puts on at evening in rare conditions of the atmosphere when a dense, low-lying mist pours over the intervales, giving the valley all the semblance of a vast lake, out of whose bosom the loftier tree tops emerging appear like thousands of bosky islets; while an amphitheatre of softly-rounded hills girts it all around. The whole region visible is redolent with romance, every little stream is musical with historic legend, and every neighborhood has its pathetic tale of early tragedy or pioneer adventure and hardihood.
It is an Elysian land to those owning birthrights therein if their hearts are warm with a love of Nature and loyalty to a noble ancestry.
275 Years of a Town: In June 1732, the town of Harvard incorporated within the colony, after nearly 100 years of settlement in the area and several years of petitions, objections, and re-petitions to the legislature. To celebrate this milestone, the Press is running extracts from Henry S. Nourse’s History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893.