My father in law and I were on a walk through a state park in western Massachusetts last fall when he says to me, "Did you know that this land was all clear in the 1800's"? To which I replied, "You mean all of Massachusetts"? Yup.

He was trying to tell me that at one time the state of Massachusetts had no trees and was all farm land, or at least 85% of it. I didn't believe him so I had to look into this for myself.

In actuality, it was the random stone walls I would see in the forest around near where we live that prompted my question. Why were all these stone walls in midst if acres and acres of trees. Fact is, back when the walls were built there were no trees, it was farm land.

Deforestation (mid 1800's)

New England was all forest before the European settlers arrived and took over. Their goal?

In Europe, land for homes and farms was unavailable in Europe for most people. The New World offered them an opportunity to find a home to raise a family and make a living.

But in addition, the massive trees in New England forests were a valuable commodity, not just for building on the American land but for shipping back to wood-starved Europe. Massachusetts settlers saw their forests as a source of revenue, and heat for the terrible winters.

But they also saw the forests as an impediment to their desired to FARM their land in the European tradition, both planting crops, and to raise domestic livestock pasture. -recorder.com

As you know, in the mid 1800's, there were no machines. All of this New England land that was cleared was done by human muscle, human and animal muscle!

As the people migrated west for better and easier land to farm, the forests of Massachusetts and New England grew back.

Without care, or the pasturage of heifers, or sheep, Massachusetts land quickly returns to forest. Lands that were fields in 1950 are dense forests in 2019.