This photograph shows the action-packed annual rope pull between the freshman and sophomore classes at Springfield College, ca. 1947. Only one team is visible, and they are straining against the rope as they pull uphill. Spectators are watching the game from behind. Another photograph looks similar to this one has notes indicate that the photograph was taken in 1947. From the 1920s through the 1960s freshmen united against the sophomore class in a series of friendly rivalries. One of the annual contests included an action-packed rope pull over Lake Massasoit, in which if the freshman won they were no longer required to wear their beanies. Lake Massasoit, also known as Watershops Pond, formed when the Armory dammed Mill River to generate energy. As the City of Springfield’s second largest body of water, it features seven miles of shorelines. During the 19th century, the city built two bathhouses along the lake’s shore, but these were destroyed in 1920. Long a major site for fishing, Lake Massasoit features species such as the black crappie, bluegill, brown trout, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, and yellow bass. At different points in Springfield College's history, the students used the lake for rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.
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