Walden Pond is a lake in Concord.
A famous example of a kettle hole, it was formed by retreating glaciers 10,000–12,000 years ago. The pond is protected as part of Walden Pond State Reservation, a 335-acre (136 ha) state park. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its association with the famous American writer Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) and his most famous work, Walden; or, Life in the Woods.
Henry David Thoreau, transcendentalist, and philosopher lived on the northern shore of the pond for two years starting in the summer of 1845.
His book is a reflection of his simple living by the pond in natural surroundings. It is a personal declaration of independence, social experiment, a voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and—to some degree—a manual for self-reliance.
In his book, Thoreau also contemplated Walden Pond's features. In "The Ponds" section, Thoreau extols the water's physical properties. He details its unparalleled water quality; its clarity, color, and temperature; its unique animal life (aquatic, bird, and mammal); its rock formations and bed; and especially, its mirror-like surface properties.
Thoreau contemplates the source of the pristine water body in the woods. He observes that it had no visible inlet or outlet, and considers the possibility of an unidentified spring at the bottom. Noting the kettle landform's ramparts and resilient shore, he concludes that a unique, natural geologic event formed the site, while recognizing local myths.
Boston's "Ice King," Frederic Tudor, harvested ice yearly on Walden Pond for export to the Caribbean, Europe, and India. In his journal, Thoreau philosophized upon the wintry sight of Tudor's ice harvesters: "The sweltering inhabitants of Charleston and New Orleans, of Madras and Bombay and Calcutta, drink at my well ... The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges."
The land at that end was owned by Thoreau's friend and mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who let Thoreau use it for his experiment. The Concord Museum contains the bed, chair, and desk from Thoreau's cabin
Descendants of Emerson and other families deeded the land around the pond to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1922. Walden Pond became part of the state parks system in 1975.
Massachusetts, Walden Pond | |
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