This cache was placed for the 1st Western Mass. Geocachers
Event.
You will have to visit three historical spots and gather
information at each spot to find the actual cache. The above
coordinates are not for the cache they are for the parking for the
first and second historical spots. There you will find the
information needed to find the third historical spot, which will
then lead you to the final.
Once at the listed coordinates above you will visit one of the
oldest standing School Houses in the country where on November 2,
1920, Mrs. Phoebe Jordan was the first woman in U.S. history to
cast a vote in a national election following the passage of the
19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to
vote. Also, a church that according to a legend gambling was rife
in New Ashford’s tavern life and the Elder Rev. John Leland
prevailed upon the town’s most predominant gamblers to set aside
cuts from their winning pools for the construction of New Ashford’s
first and only church, which was constructed in 1828. The gamblers
agreed as long as their mark would be left outside the church
steeple forever.
At the school house you must find the year the school was
built.
At the church you must find the gamblers repeatedly left mark
all around the steeple.
Take the year the school was built and subtract 1029 to give you
AAA.
Take the number left by gamblers all around the steeple and add
818 to give you BBB.
N42*35.AAA
W073*14.BBB
This will bring you to the third historical spot.
Once at the above coordinates you will visit the Site of the
original Mallery Homestead. Back in 1861 Henry W. Pratt, 21
murdered his bride of three weeks in the old Mallery House. The
house was later burned. Pratt was arrested, tried and convicted of
first-degree murder in the courthouse in Lenox. He was sentenced to
be hanged.
Here you must find the date on the plaque. Once you've found the
date take the last two digits of the year and subtract 5, then take
that number and add it to the last three digits of your north
coordinates which will give you ZZZ. Next take the first two digits
of the year and use for YY.
N42*35.ZZZ
W073*14.8YY
Now you are on your way to the final location.
The final location is located at Berkshires-Shirakaba, A
Japanese-American Bed & Breakfast. We have permission from the
owners to place this cache on their property and the neighbors
nearby are aware of the geocache.
None of this cache would have possible if it weren't for the
owners of the Berkshires-Shirakaba Bed & Breakfast, Louise
& Sadao. Thank you very much for all the information and all
your kindness!! Be sure to say "Hi" if you see Louise or Sadao!
Good luck and happy caching!!