Matthew Boon facts for kids
Matthew Boon was an early English settler who lived a long time ago. He was the very first English person to settle in the area that is now called Stow, Massachusetts. Sadly, he died in 1676. After his death, a nearby pond was named after him. Today, that pond is known as Lake Boon.
Matthew Boon's Life
Matthew Boon first lived in a town called Charlestown, Massachusetts. Around the year 1660, he moved to the area we now know as Stow. There, he built a farm right next to a pond.
It is said that Matthew Boon traded a simple jack knife with the local Nipmuc people. In return, he gained the right to live on their land. Another settler named John Kettell joined Boon around the same time. Together, their small settlement became known as Pompositticut Plantation.
A Tragic Event
In mid-February of 1676, a big conflict called King Philip's War was happening. During this time, Matthew Boon and his family were staying safe in a special fortified house in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
However, Matthew Boon, his son, and a man named Thomas Plympton decided to go back to his farm. They needed to get supplies using an ox cart. It was during this trip that Matthew Boon was believed to have been killed by Native Americans. This happened in the area between his pond and White's Pond. This spot was known as "Red Slough." Matthew Boon's body was never found.
Remembering Matthew Boon
Many years later, on September 4, 1851, a famous writer named Henry David Thoreau walked through the area. He wrote about Matthew Boon's death in his journal.
At that time, the pond was still called Boon's Pond. Later, a man named Amory Maynard bought the pond. He built a dam to make the pond bigger. This helped provide more water for his woolen mill. After this, the pond became known as Lake Boon.
In 1883, the town of Stow honored Matthew Boon. They put up a monument near Lake Boon. This monument marks the spot where people believe his home once stood. It is on a hill off what is now Barton Road.
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Reverse of Boon's Monument near 40 Barton Road in Stow Massachusetts
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Granite marker pointing to the Boon Monument about 150 feet from the road in Stow Massachusetts
