1975 Map of Winsor Dam

About this map

Quabbin Reservoir dominates this landscape, reflecting the massive hydrological transformation of central Massachusetts by the mid-1970s. This orthophotoquad provides a direct visual record of the shoreline and the heavily forested Prescott Peninsula, a landform that remains a reminder of the towns displaced to create the reservoir. At the southern edge of the water, the massive Winsor Dam controls the flow into the Swift River, which cuts south toward the developed areas of West Ware and the larger town of Ware. Unlike traditional topographic maps, this aerial imagery captures the specific density of the woods and the precise layout of local roads and structures as they existed in 1975, showing the contrast between the protected wilderness surrounding the water supply and the encroaching settlement patterns to the south.