Walden Pond

My visit to Walden Pond was both calming and educational, a rare accomplishment since I began college in September. I drove to Concord one Saturday in October under the guide of my friend and local resident Jon Reed. The historical site crept up on us quickly, only one turn away from a main road through town. After he and I purchased a parking pass and made a short trek across the street, we arrived at Walden Pond. There were many families on the beach, children running and laughing, just as one would expect to find at the waterfront on one of the last summer-like days in the fall. We spent a lot of time following the pathways around the pond and eventually found the site of Henry David Thoreau's temporary home of long ago. After accepting a few choice photo opportunities, I took a moment to appreciate the atmosphere surrounding us. I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live there in the 1800s, which then led to the question, "How would Thoreau react to Walden Pond as it is now?" Surely a few things have changed since 1868, the same year Thoreau moved back into civilization. As Jon and I wandered back in the direction of my car, we observed and discussed as many examples of the passage of time as possible. In an effort to compile the two perspectives of Walden Pond, I decided to create an imaginary, anachronistic newspaper page from the Concord Tab. Each picture and article addresses a modern issue (e.g. fenced-in paths) from a historical standpoint. The content is mainly factual though still open to interpretation in an effort to foster a well-rounded sense of the literary environment of Concord during this historical time period. The pictures featured on the front page were taken that same day and are linked to larger versions of themselves for a closer look. The pond's address is 915 Walden St. (Rte. 126), Concord, MA 01742, and parking is $5. For more information call the MA Forst & Park Service at (978) 369 - 3254. Please click on the photograph above to enter my Walden Pond web site. Greg O'Kane - November 5, 2004