Recently used to farm vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, and for forage by cows and horses, the one-and-a-half acre Toolas Preserve located along the Cape Cod railroad track in East Sandwich was an ancient site of native Wampanoag American activity. Chipping debris noted for the production of stone tools
and points were discovered during agricultural activity during the 1970s. Porforitic rhyolite, a bluish rock with white speckles, originally found on Cape beaches, was used in native campsites for making tools, and this find on the Toolas site indicates the presence of a populated village that existed for perhaps 1000s of years. It is speculated that the original native American name of the site is 'Muset', like the Muset creek in the nearby Spring Hill Marsh.
Granted to Sandwich Conservation Trust in 1997 by William & Francis Toolas and Mary Funk, the Preserve is populated by a combination of Pitch pine and oak trees commonly found in Cape Cod vegetation. The trees bound a wiregrass field suitable for predatory bird habitat bordering a Spring Hill Creek and marsh edge; the field was once a part of the Toolas Dairy Farm.
Suggested use of the site is for walking and light recreation. Toolas Preserve links to Luce Preserve on Little Island via a trail through the open grove of Pitch Pine trees to the marsh edge. Walks of this area often start at Toolas Preserve, pass through Little Island, and end up on Great Island. Parking is available across from a private driveway. Pets are permitted on leash.
Address:
On the N side of the RR tracks adjacent to Great Island Road in East Sandwich, MA.