Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
| Founded | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Type | Land Trust, Historic Trust |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Andover, Ashford, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Mansfield Center, Scotland, Storrs, Tolland, Willington, Windham, and Woodstock, Connecticut. |
|
Members
|
Over 800 |
|
Employees
|
one part-time conservation coordinator |
| Website | http://www.joshuaslandtrust.org |
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust or Joshua's Trust, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) land trust operating in northeast Connecticut. Joshua's Trust was incorporated in 1966 to help conserve property of significant natural or historic interest. As of 2011, the Trust protects more than 4,000 acres, maintains trails that are open to the public, holds educational outreach programs, and publishes the Joshua's Tract Walkbook.
In 1676 Attawanhood (also known as Joshua), son of Uncas and Sachem of the Mohegans, died just after fighting in King Philip's War. Many of the towns in Mohegan territory, land north and east of New London, Groton and Stonington, owed their existence to grants from Uncas or his sons. This included all of the current Windham county and the principal part of Tolland county. Joshua, the third son, in his will left his hunting grounds to 'sixteen men of Norwich'; this included the then town of Windham, a tract nearly 10 miles square, and Mansfield. Settlements followed swiftly, in Mansfield at 'Ponde Place',Windham, and also in today's towns of Scotland, Chaplin, and Hampton.
In 1966, two-hundred and ninety years later, motivated by the rapid development of the area, the efforts of the Mansfield Historical Society and the Mansfield Conservation Commission resulted in the incorporation of Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust. The Madison Land Trust provided assistance, and individuals donated $1,400. The founding trustees were Floyd M. Callward, Samuel G. Dodd, John M. Evans, George A. Baker, Jr. and Gertrude M. Lamb.
Joshua's Trust acquired its first property, Bradley-Buchanan Woods, in 1970. This was followed by the Wolf Rock property, the Ashford Oak and others, including in 1978 the historic Gurleyville Gristmill and miller's cottage, birthplace of Wilbur Cross, the 56th governor of Connecticut. Many of these early trust properties, like Wolf Rock, Coney Rock and Echo Woods, now abut other conserved lands, significantly increasing the size of the protected habitat.
In 1991 the Trust's holdings including preserves and easements reached 2,000 acres, and nineteen years later they crossed the 4,000 acre mark.
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