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Big, Big Rocks

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  • Big, Big Rocks

    This link has photos of glacial erratics, mostly in the Northeast. If you click on any photo, you'll get info on the name of the rock, etc. These are mostly old postcards, colorized, and there are some pretty cool old images here....



    In so many cases, enormous boulders like these acquire names and become very well know locally. The first two photos here are of an erratic known as Cobble Rock, from northern RI. Remarkably, this rock was eventually somehow knocked off its perch during a thunderstorm in 1977. Must have been some kinda wind, lol.

    Cobble Rock:



    I'll bet many of these impressive landscape features acquire names like "Indian Rock". It just seems like people see these things, think "oh, I'll bet the Indians gathered here", and the rock acquires that association. The third photo here is of Indian Rock, sitting above the Scituate Reservoir, constructed after that photo was taken pre-1907. It is located on state land surrounding the reservoir, and can no longer be visited. It provides drinking water for much of RI, and post 9/11, one does not want to be caught on that property.

    But, back in the late 70's/early 80's, friends and I recorded landscape features like this, and the remaining photos were taken by me at that time, at Indian Rock, Scituate ,RI. The last two photos show myself and my sister in a cavity located beneath this massive free standing boulder. This is the largest erratic I have seen in RI, but there are certainly bigger examples in New England, and can be seen at that first link. There must be quite a few "Indian Rock" erratics in previously glaciated landscapes....

    If you have photos of any big, big rocks from your own neck of the woods, feel free to post them....

    Last edited by CMD; 02-11-2017, 08:30 AM.
    Rhode Island

  • #2
    The first 4 photos here are of a balanced boulder a stones throw from Indian Rock in Scituate. My favorite such landscape feature. The angular rock balanced against a roundish boulder is appealing, and could sit as landscape art on a college campus somewhere. I do believe features like this would stop anyone in their tracks to wonder and to appreciate. I'm sure the natives in these parts would have noted this impressive landscape feature.

    The last photo is of an erratic known as the "Cup and Saucer Stone", so named for resembling a cup sitting in a saucer. It is located on the Narragansett Reservation, in Charlestown, RI, and is a known native drum rock. Meaning it could be rocked to create a booming sound, and could be heard at some distance. There are/were a number of "Indian drum rocks" in Rhode Island. I believe it stands about 7' tall......

    Rhode Island

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    • #3
      Like the idea of a "drum" rock. Have been learning to play my buffalo hide drum. It's very cathartic.
      Child of the tides

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Havenhunter View Post
        Like the idea of a "drum" rock. Have been learning to play my buffalo hide drum. It's very cathartic.
        Here are photos of Drum Rock, Apponaug, RI. As seen, the plaque was stolen. Every time it's replaced, it's stolen. When the rock was repositioned in August, 1984, so it could be rocked and drummed again, I was the last person to stand atop it and drum it. And I had to visit my chiropractor the next day, lol....

        Photos from this page:



        And a history:




        Rhode Island

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        • #5
          This is the Bleasdell boulder located along the trent river near Campbellford Ontario. I also see a lot of these out in the bush here on the Canadian shield when I'm driving around. There is a smaller one that is very round and looks as though it will just roll away that I see back in the bush at my brother in laws place when i'm up there hunting, that interestingly enough is within view of an ancient grind hole. This particular erratic has smaller rocks wedged under that look like they may have been intentionally placed to keep it from rolling away. It also has veins of quartz running through that appear to have been removed within 6-8 inches of the outer surface. I will take some pics. of it and the grind hole next time I'm out there, but that may not be until the fall.

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          • CMD
            CMD commented
            Editing a comment
            Interesting form on that one.

          • rock ON.
            rock ON. commented
            Editing a comment
            Now that you mention it, kind of looks like a creepy turtle head face about to eat that kid!

        • #6
          Charlie i live 2 minutes around the corner from the Black Rock here in coventry. for those who dont know its a large boulder that the road goes around and is supposedly the site of indian marriages and meetings. this whole section of town is named blackrock after it.
          call me Jay, i live in R.I.

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          • CMD
            CMD commented
            Editing a comment
            Thanks, Jay. Surprised to say I've never heard of that one!

        • #7
          Originally posted by OnewiththewilD View Post
          Charlie i live 2 minutes around the corner from the Black Rock here in coventry. for those who dont know its a large boulder that the road goes around and is supposedly the site of indian marriages and meetings. this whole section of town is named blackrock after it.
          Here's a photo, Jay:

          One of your neighbors posted in Community Corner. Click through to read what they have to say. (The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.)


          Rhode Island

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          • #8
            Charlie - My wife is from Johnston and my brother lived in Woonsocket. In all the time I've spent up there - I have never seen any of these. You can bet the next time I'm up there, I'll check them out. Really interesting posts ya'll. ...Chuck
            Pickett/Fentress County, Tn - Any day on this side of the grass is a good day. -Chuck-

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            • CMD
              CMD commented
              Editing a comment
              Well, let us know Chuck. I can show you the Apponaug Drum Rock at least.....

          • #9
            Those big boulders that were pushed around by the glaciers left some very interesting remains. Here in the southeast we have no such phenomena so its interesting for me to see those because of your post.

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            • #10
              Great thread.

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              • #11
                Here is a nice rocking stone I located deep in Narragansett country, in the Burlingame State Forest. To get to this location, the trail went straight through a rocky area that was a native burial ground. It was so blended into the natural landscape, that ages went by before I lingered in that area and a lightbulb went off. I realized that I was standing in the middle of a burial ground. All natural rocks denoting the burials. Very, very few people would ever recognize what it was, but one day I did. Wish I had taken photos, because I'm not likely now to ever be there again. Not sure the trail head is even still visible to find. Anyway, this was the best rocking stone I ever found. That's me in the photos. It could be rocked with one hand, or by standing atop it. A small loose rock pile atop the rocking stone......

                Rhode Island

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                • Scorpion68
                  Scorpion68 commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Charlie - That's absolutely awesome. I've heard of native burial grounds but never seen any. Do you happen to know how old that burial ground is and if it was a more modern site.

                • CMD
                  CMD commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I just so wish I had taken photos, Chuck. I'm sure it was no younger then 19th century. Probably earlier, but not ancient. The fact that the trail led right through it, and that I walked through it many, many times without stopping, without recognizing it is testament to just how well it blended in. As if it were camaflauged. But, if you were a Narragansett, I'm sure it would have been apparent. The day I realized it I was so surprised because I had walked right through it so many times while being absolutely clueless it was even there. It was in the town of Charlestown. After King Philip's War ended in southern New England in 1676, all of Charlestown became the Narragansett Reservation. It was actually Eastern Niantic land. They had remained neutral in the war. Narragansett survivors were allowed to settle with the Niantics, and the entire group took the name Narragansett. I believe the burial ground must date to some period post-war. The present reservation is nearby, but Burlingame is still the heart of Narragansett Country. I imagine what I found was a family plot. And I also imagine the Narragansett family in question knows exactly where it is. There is a great deal they retain and do not share with outsiders.

                • CMD
                  CMD commented
                  Editing a comment
                  BTW, the Royal Narragansett Burial Ground is nearby, and that can still be visited. It sits atop the Charlestown Moraine, a glacial feature which runs from Westerly to Narragansett. Burlingame contains many interesting rock formations and erratics that dot a morainal landscape.

              • #12
                i just started hunting burlingame this year, and yes the area is covered in large rock outcroppings. ill have to keep my eyes open for more than deer next time!
                call me Jay, i live in R.I.

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                • #13
                  Originally posted by OnewiththewilD View Post
                  i just started hunting burlingame this year, and yes the area is covered in large rock outcroppings. ill have to keep my eyes open for more than deer next time!
                  Here's a neat perched rock from Burlingame. This is way down one of the roads that enters from the northern end of the property. The stick for scale is one meter. This is one where you can wonder if man or nature arranged it. Because it's in the moraine, one would lean natural, but I dunno, it can make you wonder.


                  Rhode Island

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                  • #14
                    In Lincoln Woods State Park, in an area late 19th/early 20th century maverick RI historian James Arnold called "The Druids Circle"(he thought it was a Stonehenge type arrangement), is this large perched boulder. One of my favorites of such natural features. Arnold traveled around RI when it was completely cleared land, and so these large rocks and rock arrangements really stood out more then they do today when we have substantial secondary forest growth. Arnold thought all these balanced rocks, etcetera were man made or arranged and proof of the megalith builders of the Old World journeying to Narragansett Country. He had quite a fanciful alternate history and RI's large rocks were part of his alternate ancient landscape.....
                    Rhode Island

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                    • #15
                      Charlie have you ever seen the Dolmen in west greenwich? its on the land that belongs to Alton Jones Campus. ive yet to go see it myself but my dad says hes seen it before and told me how to get to it.
                      call me Jay, i live in R.I.

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