Spot Pond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spot Pond |
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 Spot Pond
Location in Massachusetts
Spot Pond
Location in the United States
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| Location | Middlesex County, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°27′21″N 71°05′48″W / 42.4557590°N 71.0967287°W |
| Type | lake |
Spot Pond is a beautiful lake located in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. This pond is part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, which is a large state park in Massachusetts. Most of Spot Pond is found within the town of Stoneham, Massachusetts.
The pond got its name in 1632 from John Winthrop, who was a colonial governor.
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Great Island: A Mysterious Spot
Spot Pond has an island called Great Island (42°27′08″N 71°05′46″W / 42.45222°N 71.09616°W). On this island, there is an old granite marker. This marker has a strange message carved into it: "Where Shute Fell".
The Mystery of the Shute Marker
No one knows for sure who put the marker there or why. Some people think it might be connected to a wrestler from a place called Haywardsville. Long ago, many wrestling matches and boxing fights were held on Great Island.
Spot Pond and Its Surroundings
Spot Pond also gives its name to the Spot Pond Archeological District. This area used to be home to the Hayward Rubber Works, which was a factory. It was also a small mill town that no longer exists.
Spot Pond and Drinking Water
For many years, Spot Pond was an important source of drinking water for the Boston area. This happened when the Metropolitan Water Supply Commission was active, from 1926 to 1946.
How Spot Pond Supplied Water
To use the pond for drinking water, its water level was raised by 16 feet. The stream that used to flow into the pond was moved. This meant the pond's only water came from new pipes called the East and West Spot Pond Supply mains.
Water from Spot Pond helped supply the northern Low Service zone. Water was also pumped from Spot Pond to Fells Reservoir. This water then supplied the Northern High Service zone.
Spot Pond Today
Today, Spot Pond is no longer used for public drinking water. However, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is building new covered storage tanks in the area. These tanks will help store water for the region.
