Page 6 - MARCH 2025

Page 6
Community
By William nieman
Parents and Progeny
This year, as with many years in the past, the laughter of chil- dren is heard in the woodland, expressing Slim Baker’s dream of “an outdoor school for learning about the wonders of nature.” These children, as well as many adults who enjoy the Slim Baker Area, are truly the living progeny of two generous women, Reba Follansbee Hip- son and Lucy Baker.
In 1953, Reba, with no chil- dren of her own, was grateful for the opportunity to grant her father, Herbert, his wish to be- queath the Follansbee family’s beautiful land on Bristol’s Lit-
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM March 2025 Slim Baker - Part II
Parents and Progeny, The Land, The People, The Promise
tle Round Top to subsequent generations. Reba would con- vey the deed to 125 acres of
Little Round Top to the Bristol Federated Church (now Bris- tol United Church of Christ)
with the understanding that the church would convey its use to the Slim Baker (SB) Foundation. Today, all who enjoy this se- cluded yet approachable reserve can be included in the count of Reba Follansbee Hipson’s spiri- tual descendants.
As with Reba, Slim Baker’s widow, Lucy Baker, helped to “parent” the hundreds of peo- ple who travel the trails and enjoy the recreation experienced on Little Round Top. After setting aside a trust to care for her only child, a daughter, who would not be able to bear Lucy a grandchild, she donated the substantial Baker estate to the SB Foundation. This generous
endowment continues to under- write the work of the Founda- tion, which is supplemented by the contributions of hundreds of other supporters.
The Land
Looking South from Bristol’s Sugar Hill, two modest “moun- tains” come into view, rising be- yond the town’s Central Square and just West of the Pemigewas- set River. The smaller ascent, closest to the Pemi, is Little Round Top. Nearby, further to the West, is Round Top. Both names derive from the Union Army redoubts at Gettysburg and were so named by Bristol’s returning veterans. The SB Area covers a sizable “slice” of Little Round Top. It runs al- most a mile from Southwest to Northeast and is about half that distance in breadth. The land within is richly forested with red oak, white pine, hemlock, and beech. The forest is broken by a glade in the North. There is a small brook passing through a few acres in the Southwest. There are four named trails through the reservation. They traverse from 700 to 1010 feet in elevation. One trail goes di- rectly to that highest elevation, Inspiration Point. This is the Worthen Trail. It was once a tote road and can still accommodate
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