Seton Preserve
Cos Cobb, Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut

Located less than a mile from I-95.

History:

1860  --  Ernest Thompson Seton born in Durham, England.

1880s – Seton immigrated to Ontario, Canada as a youth. He became an artist producing 4,000 paintings and drawings.

He was fascinated by nature and this led him to become a naturalist, artist, and author

1892  --  appointed Provincial Naturalist, Government of Manitoba, Canada.

1896 --  married Grace Gallatin of New York City.

1902  --  Seton established a youth organization called the Woodcraft Indians consisting of 12 boys from Cos Cobb. He also wrote many volumes of Scoutcraft.

1906  --  worked with Baden-Powell in England to develop the Boy Scout movement.

1910 – Seton’s background and contribution made him a logical choice for the position of first Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America.

On the  estate of Ernest Thompson Seton, the founder of the Boy Scout movement in America, was a log cabin on the lake.  The boy scouts used the Seton Estate as their primary summer camp. On the property there are old fireplace encampments and other relics.

1930 --  moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1946  --  death of Ernest T. Seton.

The local Boy Scout Council may use Seton’s house as its headquarters.

Here now is a preserve.

Habitats:

woods, lake, streams

Trails:

The town is trying to acquire the adjacent property of the late historian Barbara Tuchman. Close by is the Montgomery Pinetum. With the acquisition of the Treetops property there would now be an extensive greenbelt extending into New York State.

Sources:

(P. 193-106. William J. Clark. 2002. Images of America: Greenwich. Charleston, SC: Arcadia.)

Chronology of Events in the Life of ERNEST THOMPSON SETON Artist, Naturalist, Environmentalist, Explorer Founder of the Woodcraft League (1860 - 1946) http://www.etsetoninstitute.org/CHRONDEE.HTM

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