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1952 Map of Winsor Dam

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Winsor Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Quabbin Reservoir dominates this landscape, reflecting the massive engineering changes of the mid-20th century in Central Massachusetts. This survey captures the area following the flooding of the Swift River Valley, showing the prominent Prescott Peninsula and islands like Little Quabbin that were once high ridges. Infrastructure critical to the metropolitan water supply is clearly marked, including the primary Winsor Dam, the Quabbin Dike, and the start of the Quabbin Aqueduct.

South of the reservoir, the map detail shifts to the remaining settlements of West Ware and Ware, where the Swift River resumes its course. The terrain is marked by numerous family-named peaks and ledges such as Quabbin Hill and Richards Ledges. Local recreational and conservation spaces like Quabbin Park appear alongside smaller water bodies like Peppers Mill Pond and Beaver Lake, illustrating the post-inundation character of the Hampshire and Worcester county borders.