Historic Pines, Madison

You’ll start your walk at this National Historic Landmark in a grassy open area beneath beautiful old pines. Check out the granite slabs with lots of historical information and have a picnic on the stone picnic tables.

One of the tablets explains that an archeological dig here unearthed significant remains dating to the 1690s, when an Abenaki village from the other side of the river relocated to this site, known then as the Norridgewock Old Point Mission. The mission was led by French Jesuit priest Father Rasles, who urged the Abenaki to resist English settlers.

By the time Benedict Arnold came through here, on his way north along the Kennebec River in 1775 to fight the English in Quebec, little remained of the village — its chapel and longhouses — because it had been destroyed by an English militia in 1724. The men killed many of the villagers, including Rasles. “Rasles lived among the Norridgewock Indians for 35 years. He ministered to their needs, conducted church services, advocated on their behalf, wrote an Abenaki-French dictionary — and was much loved by his followers,” according to Maine Memory Network.

After reading about the history, you can walk the flat, wide trail along the river for about a half mile, enjoying the sounds of the rapids. Along the way you can learn Native names for the river and for numbers, see sachem Bomazeen’s signature carved into a slab, and read quotes from people like John Muir and Father Rasles.

You’ll pass a cemetery and then reach a power line. Head down a narrow trail to the river right just past the power line corridor to access a small sandy beach. (A narrow trail does continue down the river but I turned back because of copious poison ivy!)

Directions: From Route 201, turn onto Father Rasle Road, approximately 4 miles from the Norridgewock bridge; it’ll be on the left. From here, the Historic Pines will be approximately 3 miles on the left down Father Rasle Road. Park along the road shoulder.