Gamlin Crystal Springs Area

Adapted from GUS ON GROTON, Gus G. Widmayer (January 28, 2012)

Joseph Oscar Gamelin was born in Quebec, married Emma Jane Crawford and bought a house on Hoyts Wharf Road from a Mr. Parker Fletcher on February 2, 1888 (then Snake Road). Joseph died in 1913 and soon Joseph’s widow Emma sold the house in order to buy the Crystal Spring Farm on Old Dunstable Road. Emma and her son Edward grew fruits and vegetables and sold Christmas trees to visitors from the local towns. The farm was also used for hunting, trapping, and fishing.  What’s more, Edward had a saw mill where he employed seasonal help from Canada as loggers.  The farm bordered a brook and meadow in the middle of the vast woodland.  A railroad train rolled along its track that ran across the ridge of an old glacial esker. It was called the Red Line.  Edward worked on the farm while at times handling part-time posts as deputy at the police station and as a town public works employee.  In addition, he maintained several camps on Blood Road called the Jewett Camps.  These are only cellar holes now. The road was used previously as a farm and woods road but is now part of the trail system. Edward and his wife Florence had five children including Bob.

Although the family sold the farm house, they did retain 130 acres. In 2006, Bob Gamlin donated 127 acres to the Groton Conservation Trust, which includes over 3,000 feet of Cow Pond Brook and adds to 1,500 contiguous acres of protected upland forest, stream and freshwater marsh habitat.  Also, 24.583 acres were sold to Groton developer Bob Kiley with the stipulation that 13.42 be placed under a conservation restriction known as the Gamlin Crystal Springs  trail system.