One misty, moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment, and I began to grin,
How do you do, and how do you do?
And how do you do again?

Preston Notch to Higby Road–Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown. Connecticut. Peaceful, except for the occasional cheers of a Saturday morning crowd gathered for a sports event nearby. (Sound carries.)

Foliage is bright with color. It smells like autumn, almost Halloween. Imagination can conjure a fellow hiker from the past on this same trail; he is almost tangible. The leather he wears creaking a bit, the leaves shushing as he walks. There.

“Fascinating documentation of a mysterious figure” an over-size book lavishly illustrated. The author is gone, his dedicated work stands. (The images of the book’s back portion, existing artifacts? The Old Leatherman’s mitten, pipe, haversack, tobacco bag. More.)

The Old Leather Man: Historical Accounts of a Connecticut and New York Legend by Dan W. DeLuca (Wesleyan University Press).

“In 1883, wearing a sixty-pound suit sewn from leather boot-tops, a wanderer known only as the Leather Man began to walk a 365 mile loop between the Connecticut and Hudson Rivers that he would complete every 34 days, for almost six years. His circuit took him through at least 41 towns in southwestern Connecticut and southeastern New York, sleeping in caves, accepting food from townspeople, and speaking only in grunts and gestures along the way. What remains of the mysterious Leather Man today are the news clippings and photographs taken by the first-hand witnesses of this captivating individual. The Old Leather Man gathers the best of the early newspaper accounts of the Leather Man, and includes maps of his route, historic photographs of his shelters, the houses he was known to stop at along his way, and of the Leather Man himself. This history tracks the footsteps of the Leather Man and unravels the myths surrounding the man who made Connecticut’s caves his home.

“A Driftless Connecticut Series Book, funded by the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.”

Walk before the rain near Higby.

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— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) October 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM

Walking in the woods, east and downhill and the back side of the mountain from Preston Notch. Passing by a somewhat square depression–as Nature doesn’t favor right angles, this stands out–and thus, theories as to what stood here once upon a time. A cable and insulator hang down from a tree that is literally “eating” the man-made intrusion. Maybe this was once a place to shelter, live during haying seasons? The fertile land on the eastern side of Higby Mountain once was farmland. Now that land is sprouting housing developments with stunning views.

Stone ruins can tell a walker/hiker much if context is provided or sketched in or clues observed. The embedded-in-trees barbed wire fencing still exists–likely originally to keep livestock from wandering up the mountain or too far from lush pastures. Water runs through the landscape, handy for livestock out on pasture. A bridge half wild–logs and sturdy branches used in construction along with conventional lumber very attraction and functional.

Let this fabulous book be your guide, a conversation with legs, so to speak. Reading engages mind, body, spirit and may propel a person out and about. As a writer fueled by curiosity, go and find out is a way of life. TOne that is quite special because of the combined experiences and knowledge of each author.

“During our careers, we have spent a lot of time hiking wooded areas and identifying archaeological sites often comprised of stone ruins throughout southern New England. Yet, we hadn’t seen all that these states offer for the interested hiker. As a result, we are indebted to experienced trekkers throughout the region who have come upon stone ruins in their journeys and have assisted us in compiling this book.”

Hiking Ruins of Southern New England: A Guide to 40 Sites in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island by Nick Bellantoni and Barbara Ann Kipfer (Falcon Guides 2024).

After an outing, page through intertwined history, archaeology, parks, preserves, land trust holdings–and human stories too. The authors (how fortunate readers are to have their combined knowledge shared. Let’s all hope this is a first in a series.):

Nick Bellantoni, PhD, is emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist and an adjunct associate research professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut. He served as state archaeologist with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History at the University of Connecticut. He earned his BA in anthropology at the Central Connecticut State College in 1976 and his doctorate in anthropology from UConn in 1987, shortly thereafter appointed state archaeologist. He retired from that position in 2014.

Bellantoni is co-editor of In Remembrance: Archaeology and Death, and he has also contributed to journals such as the Journal of Forensic Science, Journal of Archaeological Science, and American Journal of Physical Anthropology. He most recently has authored The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry ‘Opukaha’ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk and “And So the Tomb Remained”: Exploring Archaeology and Forensic Science within Connecticut’s Historical Family Mausolea. He has been excavating in Connecticut for 40 years.

Barbara Ann Kipfer, PHD, is the author of nearly 70 books, including: Hiking Is Fundamental (FalconGuides), Archaeologist’s Fieldwork Guide 2nd Edition, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology Second Edition, 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, Natural Meditation, and 1,001 Ways to Live Wild.

Dr. Kipfer holds a PhD in archaeology (Greenwich University), BS in physical education (Valparaiso University), PhD and MPhil in linguistics (University of Exeter), and MA and PhD in Buddhist studies (Akamai University). She is a registered professional archaeologist. Visit her at https://www.thingstobehappy about.com.

Found in the new books nonfiction section at a public library. By the way, did you know your Connecticut library card works at libraries across the state? (Some may require the user to provide information and verify current address.)

“Cat Den Quarry. These may indicate the presence of a larger burying ground, incorporating Native American and African American traditions.”

Oh, this book covers three states, too. Here’s one on my must-see list (from the book):

28. Natchaug State Forest, Ashford Woods: “…There are a variety of stone ruins, including house foundations, a quarry, and burying grounds. What makes these stone features distinctive is that they represent a 19th-­ century African and Native American community, providing a rare glimpse of disenfranchised peoples often underrepresented in the historical record.”

“Extensive research into these families by local historian Donna Dufresne has demonstrated that the Websters and Lamberts were descendants of enslaved people on the Jonathan Randall farm in Pomfret, CT, originating through the marriage of Waity Brooks (Nipmuc/Narragansett) and Rueben Randall, born enslaved on the Randall estate in 1777. Family genealogy states that Websters were also members of the Nipmuc Tribe, an
identity sustained in their daily lifestyles.”

Having attended the annual gathering for Venture Smith (that story, linked here), learning more is ahead. The Witness Stones project is also of interest.

Bellantoni is the author of The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry ‘Opukaha‘ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk; Series: The Driftless Connecticut Series & Garnet Books (Wesleyan University Press).

Editor’s note: Portions of this story have previously appeared in the original book review(s) at an earlier date.