our campsite at Potter's Pond on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife RefugeAny time a traveler comes across unfamiliar territory, you can assume a homesteader lived there if there are lilacs on the property. 
photo by kathystanczak.ca
photo by kathystanczak.caThe beautiful flowering bush just doesn't grow in the wild on its own very often. In the spot we camped this week we started seeing clues that somebody had once lived there. I wanted to ask somebody, " Who was Potter of Potter's Pond or who lived here before 1939 when they changed this to a wildlife refuge? "
After noticing the lilacs, we discovered pieces of hand- mixed cement around our site that led us to believe there was a foundation close to where we were camping. Further investigation by JEJ found a old shower drain and pipes. All these clues made us wonder just who had lived here before.
Later that day I took a hike through the grassland into the cedar grove. There was quite a find, but I had to go back and ask JEJ just what in the world I had found. He always seems to know about things like this.
There was a cement- like trough with moss and water that flowed down toward our camp site. It wasn't running much water this time of year.
He explained it was an underground spring and the inhabitants of this land put in their own hand- mixed cement holding tank that kept water close to where they were living. It was like stumbling across another place and time. I was amazed how the whole thing had been preserved.
I am sure the trees around the spring have grown. I am also sure the water has dried up a bit. Now I want to ask more questions and find out if there was a cabin or homestead at this site.
Did they stay after it became a refuge, or did they have to move? Does Potter's Pond right by our site have anything to do with what we found? This week I hope to find some answers.To find other Sunday Scribblings about ask go here.
this morning after the thunderstorm as the mist lifted at Potter's Pond
