1969 Map of Petersham

About this map

The town of Petersham and the surrounding woodlands of the Harvard Forest define this landscape on the eastern edge of the Swift River Valley. By the late 1960s, the western portion of this area had been permanently altered by the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, which inundated former lowlands. The map reveals the remains of settlements like Dana Center and Nichewaug, while the massive Quabbin Aqueduquct runs beneath the terrain toward the east. Family history is deeply rooted here, evidenced by numerous burial grounds such as West Street Cem, Coolidge Cem, and the Miles Holden Cem. Large tracts of protected land, including the Federation of Womens Clubs State Forest, contrast with the network of rural roads like Dugway Road and Hardwick Road that connect isolated farmsteads and hills like Camels Hump Hill and Raccoon Hill.