THE LEGACY OF DIZ CALLENDER
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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