Gloucester in Essex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Dogtown & Babson Builders
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 23, 2017
1. Dogtown & Babson Builders Marker
Born on Middle Street, business theorist and investor Roger Babson hired unemployed stone cutters to inscribe more than two-dozen boulders during the Depression. He hoped that words such as "industry," "initiative," and "integrity" would inspire people as they walked through Dogtown Common in the center of Cape Ann. He founded three colleges as well as Gloucester's Isabel Memorial Library.
Erected by Gloucester Harborwalk. (Marker Number 23.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 42° 36.68′ N, 70° 39.579′ W. Marker is in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in Essex County. Marker is on Harbor Loop south of Rogers Street (Massachusetts Route 127), on the left when traveling south. Marker is located at the south edge of Captain Solomon Jacobs Park, along the walkway connecting with Harbor Loop. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Solomon Jacobs Landing & Park (a few steps from this marker); Charles Heberle (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rocky Neck (about 700 feet away); Porter Anchor
this page online
More about this marker. Marker is a composite plaque mounted on a 4-foot tall granite pedestal.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Gloucester Harborwalk
Also see . . .
1. Gloucester HarborWalk. Website homepage (Submitted on November 22, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Dogtown, Dogtown Common, or Dogtown Village.
Originally settled in 1693 because its rocky, inland location offered protection from pirates and enemy natives, this abandoned settlement called Dogtown is one of the Essex National Heritage Area’s hidden gems. Dogtown is known for its charming woods, giant boulders and rock formations left behind when the last glaciers melted. Pathways are dotted with 3 dozen boulders into which unemployed Finnish quarry workers carved inspiring sayings during the Great Depression. This progressive public art work was
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 23, 2017
2. Dogtown & Babson Builders Marker (tall view)
3. Roger Babson.
Roger Ward Babson was an American entrepreneur, economist and business theorist in the first half of the 20th century. Babson was interested in the history of an abandoned settlement in Gloucester known as Dogtown. To provide charitable assistance to unemployed stonecutters in Gloucester during the Great Depression, Babson commissioned them to carve inspirational inscriptions on approximately two dozen boulders in the area surrounding Dogtown Common. The Babson Boulder Trail exists today as a well-known hiking and mountain-biking trail. The inscriptions are clearly visible. The boulders are scattered, not all are on the trail, and not all of the inscriptions face it, making finding them something of a challenge. (Submitted on March 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
