03.08.11
A Brief History of Cat Dam by Susan Playfair
Environmental Author Susan Playfair, a Cat Dam neighbor, researched the history of Cat Dam and sent it to the Cohasset Conservation Commission in February. Although it is not in this article, Susan said Cat Dam got its name because it’s where farmers used to drown their unwanted kittens. This explains a lot of things.
Susan’s article
It’s relevant to point out, with respect to Cat Dam history, that my husband (Richard O’Connell) and I live in the 1870 barn originally built as part of what became known as the Sears estate. Charlie Butnam, a Cohasset native who pitched hay as a boy in our barn and whose uncle, Arthur Woods, was the caretaker for the estate, did a lot of work for us in renovating the barn, and he relayed the history of the area to me. Sadly, he died about nine years ago. I have since done research at the Cohasset Historical Society and the town library, and have found that everything Charlie told me appears to be correct and factual.
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