Don’t Be So Salty
Salter’s Pond, Manchester
January 22, 2017
When one is attempting to hike every mapped hike in Manchester, one will be happily surprised by some fantastic properties that were previously unknown to him or her.
And sometimes, one will be left to wonder why the heck they decided to hike every mapped hike in Manchester.
Welcome to Salter’s Pond.
Okay, that’s not fair. I appreciate the history of this property and the fact that the Manchester Land Conservation Trust maintains a nicely cleared little trail here.
Salter’s Pond got its name from Lorenzo T. Salter who, in partnership with Mr. Strong, founded the Salter and Strong Paper Mill, which became the Lydall Paper Mill.
The orange-blazed trail circles the pond which begins and ends at the parking lot by the town pool. There are helpful signs and bridges along the way.
I didn’t really see anything of particular interest during my hike, but that gave me a chance to think about the pond’s previous uses and owners. And now you, yes you, you lucky ducks, get to enjoy that as well. (Courtesy of the Manchester Historical Society).
On Lydall Street in the northern part of Manchester, Salter’s was a large pond created by the damming of Lydall Brook, which, a century previously, had been a part of the Salters and Strong paper mill operation. Salter’s Pond had underground springs as well as the flowing brook, so the water tended to be cold. The Town offered swimming lessons at Salter’s and there was a small sandy beach, a roped-off kiddy pool, a small parking lot, and a Quonset hut for changing clothes. Across the pond were farms, and you could watch the cows grazing near the edge of the pond.
Ah, yes, that sounds lovely. Swimming in water with cow patty run-off. The 1950’s were such simpler times.
There was no raft to dive off, but there was the cement dam where children learned to dive into the deep water. It had a sign, painted on the cement in white: “Keep Off,” but we just called it “the keep-off,” and followed the instructors’ directions as to falling in head first, then gradually executing a dive from a standing position.
Ah, yes, that sounds lovely. Learning from town instructors how to dive off a dam with the words “Keep Off.” The 1950’s were such simpler times.
Since 1946, Salter’s had been used as a town-operated public swimming area, but the water rights were owned by the paper company. The water was treated with copper sulphate, a herbicide, fungicide, and pesticide, which in the proper dilution would not kill the fish.
Ah, yes, that sounds lovely. Swimming in water with copper sulfate. The 1950’s were such simpler times.
In 1961, the Town opened the current paved pool with its nearby brick building for changing clothes and storing chlorine.
Finally, some sanity prevailed.
In 1980-81, the pond and surrounding shore were donated to the Manchester Land Conservation Trust by Lydall, Inc. (six acres) and by Green Manor Corporation (three acres). Swimming is restricted to the official pool.
2016’s drought was rough on upper Salter’s Pond
Judging by how the pond looks today, I’m pretty sure no one is even trying to swim in it anymore. Granted, no one is trying to maintain/dam it as a swimming hole, so my 2017 perceptions aren’t really fair to those 20th century swimmers.
Now that I’ve written this page, I’m not salty about Salter’s at all. I kind of love hikes I can write-up in five minutes.
Look closely – Those nails look like fun to climb in order to jump into the muck
Manchester Land Conservation Trust
CTMQ’s Manchester Land Conservation Trust Trails Main Page
CTMQ’s Land Trusts Main Page
Denise Terry says
April 21, 2020 at 12:39 pmIn the 1970’s, when I was a child, the pond would freeze over in the winters, and we ice-skated on the pond. Over the years, more than one child was lost to the pond, when they unfortunately fell through the ice. Walking down the path in the opposite direction from the dam, there was a large oak tree, from which was hung a rope/tire swing, on which only the bravest would swing out over the pond, to drop into the cold mucky water; especially at times when the Pool was closed, or during “Mother’s swim” – the 1/2 hour that the Pool was closed to children every afternoon, to give the “mothers” a chance to cool off in a much less sparsely populated pool. During the 70’s, at one point, the water was drained from the pond, to do repairs on the dam. There were a treasure-trove of items found in the pond, including abandoned cars, etc. The pool/pond were the places most kids in the “Green Manor” neighborhoods spent most of their summer days. And the Good-Humor, Hood, and Mr. Softie ice-cream trucks made regular stops there every afternoon. Good memories!
Rick says
June 10, 2020 at 7:14 pmI grew up there in the sixties. Just woods and the dam. Made wood rafts and a pole to go all over it. First learned to swim in the pool. Plenty of sumac between our house and the pool. Spent a lot of my childhood there.
Michael says
August 23, 2020 at 6:36 pmMoved to Cushman Dr when it was just about the only completed home in High Ridge. Over the next few years watched the neighborhood, house by house be completed. Lived there from 1960 til 1970. Age 4 to 14. Lived out all my Tom Sawyer fantasies at Salters Pond. Fished there all the time catching sunfish, yellow perch and pickle. Built more rafts than I can count. Swam at both the pool and the pond. Learned to swim at the pool. As I got older I enjoyed the no rules atmosphere at the pond more. Skinny dipped a few times. Enjoyed the Tarzan swing rope many times for years. Usually giving way when the older teenagers arrived. Someone always seemed to have a transistor radio set on WDRC playing the top 40. Come to think of it, learned to smoke cigarettes down by the pond. Hated touching bottom off the rope because of the mucky bottom. Lot’s of snapping turtles to encourage you to kick your feet fast. This was back when kids were for the most part “free range” kids. Come home when the street lights come on or you heard your particular whistle. Used to cross the top of the dam or use the path below it. Used to sit on the concrete abutments when I needed alone time and watch the sun beams trough the water. Ice skated every winter when the ice was good. People would shovel the snow off if necessary. Actually used to chop holes in the ice with the heel of my skates to get a drink I was just a kid and didn’t know better. In the warm months there was a water pipe on the High Ridge side of the pond that was always on. We used to drink from that too. The other end of the pond was swamp. We used to go bow hunting for fish and frogs in there. Kid stuff. My friend Jose and I once spent a summer day doing just that. Slugging through the muck and mud having a great adventure. Towards the end of the afternoon when we finally called it quits and emerged from the swamp we discovered that we were both covered from mid hip down with wall to wall blood suckers. Had to use rocks to scrape them off. Up a short hill from the Tarzan swing used to be some tobacco barns. Don’t know when they were last in use back then but they were a source for wood slats for bond fires during the winter. There also used to be an old abandoned farm house up in the tobacco field that gave me the creeps. Besides Bowers School most of my childhood memories were create at Salters.
Edward Roberts says
October 10, 2024 at 7:11 pmHello Sir,
In the last twenty years, I have spent many hours hanging around the pond, fishing for panfish, and helping others with their tackle. Now, it seems like everyone no longer has the time. Kids are all grown up and find other things to do. I am 83 and in a wheelchair, but I can drive now, sure, and then, so I stop by to see if anyone is fishing. I sure miss those days. I am all alone now.