
Stone marker at the center of the former town of Dana, Massachusetts.
'Dana' is a former town located in
Worcester County, Massachusetts. Formed from parts of
Petersham,
Greenwich, and
Hardwick, it was incorporated in 1801, and was disincorporated on
April 28 1938, as part of the creation of the
Quabbin Reservoir. Upon disincorporation, most of the town was returned back to the adjacent town of Petersham. The majority of the land of the former town is still above water.
As with the nearby town of
Prescott, after the disincorporation, houses were moved or razed, but cellar holes remained. Unlike Prescott, the public is allowed to visit the former town of Dana, albeit by foot, as the old, narrow road is blocked off to cars. In the town center (which is still somewhat maintained by the
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation), a stone marker has been installed, which reads: ''SITE OF DANA COMMON 1801-1938 To all those who sacrificed their homes and way of life (Erected by Dana Reunion, 1996)".
Quabbin towns
★ http://menotomymaps.com/quab_1.html. Map showing the towns buried under Quabbin as they looked in 1912 with original house locations and current reservoir water level
Greenwich,
Enfield,
Prescott
References
★ Tougias, Michael. ''Quabbin: A History And Explorer's Guide''. Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts: On Cape Publications, 2002.)