Utica Letterboxing Series - amazing how many places have adopted Utica as their name.

And as you might have guessed it is getting more difficult for us to drive to the various UTICA's in the USA.

Utica NY was established in 1704 and incorporated in 1832.
She is located along the Mohawk River just about in the center of New York State.

Utica, New York

She learned of life at the age of EIGHT on a bog KETTLE LAKE named for TOM.
In a small little town at the side of this route where salamanders and bullfrogs roamed.
The land was flat yet mountains were near, sandy with pines all around.
It was here, in this place, a love of life, was birthed in a small young girl.

The nights were filled with the cry of many, whippoorwills lead the way.
Raccoons would come and bobcats would wail - yet all was safe inside.
There were berries to pick and plants to be found, lady slippers and sundew galore.
And down on the ground, the young girl would be, soaking up all that she saw.

West Canada Creek - where we learned to swim and fish

Nearby Cemetery - we would spend hours reading stones

This is the cabin my dad built and in the back ground
you can get a glimpse of the lake.

Grange - where we would go to vote and get
hershey's candy bars.

A lay of the land during winter.

CLUE

Once you locate this area in Herkimer County, New York ( a google search will help), look for a big brown sign. The sign on the side of the ROAD announces what you are entering. You must be heading in a northerly way to see this giant sign.

Now, with your back against the right hand post, look into the "woods", see that shrub with the multiple trunks? Buried in the middle is the letterbox with a whimsical stamp like the girl who carved it.

ATTENTION: This box is NOT located in Utica. I wanted a sort of mystery to this in that you have to solve the "clues" I will say that it is north of Utica but the rest is up to you. Dedicated to Red and Ellie - who taught her of life in the wilds.

More information at atlasquest

Utica, Indiana

Between 1794-1825, Utica was a popular ferry crossing, as ferry crossings were considered too dangerous at Jeffersonville, due to inexperienced ferry operators and the Falls of the Ohio. James Noble Wood, the founder of Utica, was the first ferryman in the area, and he served as one of only a handful of territorial judges in "Indian Territory" during this period.

After a flood in 1997, Utica saw growth because it had to strengthen its building, planning, and zoning laws in order to get theFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Indiana DNR rebuilding funds. However, Utica is unlikely to see much more growth due to being surrounded by Jeffersonville, Charlestown State Park, the Ohio River, and the River Ridge Commerce Center.[1]taken from Wikipedia.

Utica, Indiana is located across the Ohio River in Louisville Kentucky and a few miles to the east.

This is the first in my I LOVE UTICA Letterbox Series. In 2007, I started a series of micro box plants in Utica, NY that coincided with Utica's Monday Night, an annual event. The stamps were retired at the end of the season and I am now replanting them through out the US in Utica.

This stamp, a small flower, was originally planted at Bagg's Square in the heart of the city.

Locate Utica, Indiana.
Once there you will need to find the Hillcrest Cemetery.

I loved the look of the entrance with all that stone work.

As you enter the cemetery you will see a very wide tree.
Behind the tree are five stone pyramids.
Standing in the middle of them with your back to them,
look straight ahead and you will see two matching trees.

To their right, 2 trees will line up and to their right and deeper into the cemetery is a double trunked tree. Walk to it.

To the right is a plot where many WOOD family members are buried. Locate the largest stone which is actually a memorial to Robert George who served as captain under General George Rogers Clark
Stand with your back to George and walk straight until you reach the last row of headstones. Alonzo, Napoleon, James and Lewis. Stand between James and Lewis and face the woods. Straight ahead is a tree with a forked and crossed trunk. Walk to the tree and buried under leaves and sticks is the Utica LB.
Thank you for recovering Utica and let me know you have found it.

A little glimpse of the stones near the letter box.

Utica, Ohio
Utica, Ohio is located along the Licking River
The village is home to the general headquarters (HQ) of the Velvet Ice Cream Company at the Ye Olde Mill just south of the village. The mill is a popular regional tourist attraction with an ice cream parlor and restaurant and wildlife and picnic areas. The village hosts the annual ice cream parade every Memorial Day weekend and the simultaneous Utica Ice Cream Festival.

Below - the Ice Cream Company and the ducks and geese that greeted us there.

This is the second in my I LOVE UTICA Letterbox Series.

This stamp, a small crow, was originally planted in the uptown area of Utica. Several years ago we were inundated with crows who made their roost in the beautiful elm trees that graced the front grounds of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Since many residents objected to these sometimes annoying birds, the city has done it's best to rid the area of them. I still find it quite awesome to see them flying towards the city every day at dusk. My first experience with them was on Christmas Day when my mother was admitted to the hospital. Her room was located in the middle of the second floor and faced the road and the trees. It was a warm and comfortable feeling I had as hundreds and hundreds of crows came flying in a filling the naked winter trees like black Christmas Lights. Now, even the trees have been removed to make way for more parking.

To find this letterbox first locate Utica, Ohio, the one that is the home of Velvet Ice Cream.
Now find North Lawn Cemetery and enter at the first driveway from the center of the town. Drive to the back of the cemetery and bear right parking your car just past the Woods family. Now locate the Lamson stone and walk to it. Put your back to Cora and cross over the lane and into the area that has been mowed. Walk along the fence past 2 trees on the right then two trees on your left, then three trees together on the left. In the center and BURIED under soil, rocks, twigs and leaves is THE CROW.

Thank you for making sure the CROW is well covered before leaving.

Utica, Kentucky

is a small rural community approximately ten miles to the south of Owensboro, Kentucky. It has a post office, a fire station, a baptist and methodist church, a gas station, and a store called JR's Markett. The population is about 500. tidbit - Johnny Deep was born in Owensboro.

We had fun trying to find a hiding place for this particular letterbox and still remaining in Utica. We finally found a church cemetery that worked out for us.

This is the third in my I LOVE UTICA Letterbox Series. In 2007, I started a series of micro box plants in Utica, NY that coincided with Utica's Monday Night, an annual event. The stamps were retired at the end of the season and I am now replanting them through out the US in other Utica's.

Utica NY was established in 1704 and incorporated in 1832.
She is located along the Mohawk River just about in the center of New York State.

This stamp, a flowering vine, was originally planted at the French Road Cemetery.

Locate Utica, Kentucky, just south of Owensboro, along Rte 431.
Turn west and look for the Utica Baptist Cemetery on State Rte 140.
Face cemetery.
Walk to the left hand corner of the fence.
In the corner there are posts that support the corner post.
Tucked under the left side post is your treasure.

Let me know the status when you locate this. Thanks and happy boxing.

Coordinates:

37°36′08″N 87°06′47″W

Utica, Ky.

Gerry Clark, left, and Charles Hamilton watch as a funnel drops from a wall cloud Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005, near Utica Elementary School in Utica, Ky. Tornadoes barreled across the Midwest and portions of the Southeast, knocking out electricity and damaging buildings in several states.

The Gypsy Travelers

Clues - UTICA

Utica, Ky.