Opening And Dedication Of The Ellison “Tarzan” Brown Trail
When: Saturday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kings Factory Road entrance to the Francis Carter Preserve.
Who: Everyone is invited, but dogs must be leashed.
Clear views of the National Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River, a landscape of New England hardwood forest, one-half mile of river frontage with portage, the large grassland meadow (wonderful for wildflowers in season), a virgin white pine forest with trees of breathtaking size, and sand plains, are all part of this beautiful 3 to 4-mile trail in the Francis Carter Preserve.
Ellison Tarzan Brown grew up and ran through all of the trails and roads in Charlestown. He won two Boston Marathons (1936 and 1939), competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and qualified for the 1940 Olympics.
The trail, which will now be known as the Tarzan Brown Trail, will be dedicated on Saturday with the installation of a plaque created by Ted Brown. Ted Brown is a nationally recognized mason and is the grandson of Tarzan Brown.
The creation of the new trail was a collaborative effort of the Charlestown Parks and Recreation Commission, staff from the Rhode Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Ellison “Tarzan” Brown’s devoted family who have kept his legacy and memory alive for over 50 years.
In a related story explained in the Providence Journal, Tarzan Brown’s family is searching for his two first-place Boston Marathon trophies that he sold to help feed his family.
The Brown family are hoping that someone might have those trophies and recognize them. The Brown descendants would love to have them again.