The land we know today as Osage Trails was generously donated to the Essex Land Trust in 1999 by Elizabeth“ Diz” Callender. By sharing the 8-acre property next to her home on Foxboro Point with the town she loved, she became the inspiration for the Follow the Falls project.

Born in 1915, Diz grew up on North Main St. in an Essex that is wonderful to imagine— one where trolleys ran, groceries were delivered by horse and wagon and roads were still unpaved. She often went for walks with her mother through Riverview Cemetery and along the cove to Foxboro Point. This picturesque place was special to young Diz. Filled with wildlife and steeped in the history of the old Williams Shipyard, it was a place she loved to explore. She told her mother that one day she would live there. She later proved true to her word. In 1949, Elizabeth and her new husband, William Callender, bought that piece of land and built their home.

When Diz passed away in May 2014, she made a bequest to the Essex Land Trust to ensure Osage Trails’ perpetual care for future generations. As she once said,“ If you use up all the green grass and ponds and the coves, there’ ll be nothing left for the future.”

Today, visitors to Osage Trails are greeted by sweeping stretches of lawn and wooded trails that wind along the Falls River Cove. Stands of cedar trees are scattered among the maples and oaks in the young forest. The cove waters attract osprey and are home to herons, egrets and ducks. Osage Trails stands as a priceless gift to present and future generations living in what Diz Callender called her“ beloved hometown.”

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