SMALL POX CAVE NORTH BROOKFIELD, MA

I first discovered Smallpox cave in 1956! I had heard of its legend from my dad, Joe Potvin. It was in a December snowstorm when my cousin "Kizzle" and I made the discovery. One Israel Allen, a soldier of the Revolutionary War was sequestered in the woods of North Brookfield. Allen chisled "I HAD SMALLPOX APRIL 19, 1788" Further markings state " have a message..."READ THESE LINES AND"...broken message. Dick Johnson and i have returnedto Smallpox over the years and we even chisled our own initials near Allen's carving I marked the granite "RP" and Johnson "J". You can find Small Pox cave deep in the North Brookfield Town Forest or by tresspass on a road(path) off Cider Mill road where Larry H lives. I have a copy of my New Leader article "Uncovering the mystery of Smallpox cave..April 30, 1987. It is incumbent to take youth into the woods and rediscover it.Take a piece of chalk to show the inscription and take a pictures asI did. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN