A slide showing men in the muddy bottom of Watershops Pond, or Lake Massasoit as it is called on the Springfield College campus, when it was drained. A bunch of men stand on the bank of the Lake. Up above can be seen two buildings, most likely the Administration Building and Woods Hall. According to the writing on the slide casing the photo may be from 1943. The slide may be flipped and the image may be shown incorrectly. In 1809, Lake Massasoit was formed by the army by damming the Mill River. The purpose of the dam was to ensure a constant flow of water downstream for the Springfield Armory “Watershops.” The Springfield Armory was America’s first and last National Armory, formed in 1777 and continuing production up until 1968. The formerly named Watershops Pond has 7 miles of shoreline and covers 186 acres. From 1892-1900, the buildings of Springfield College began to come about, and the name was changed to Lake Massasoit by Springfield College officials. The name came from a local hotel, the Massasoit House, owned by Marvin Chapin, a generous benefactor of the college. In 1920, the college purchased a large area of land on the upper end of the pond, and called it the “Freshman Camp.” Since the college was formed, students, faculty and visitors have used the Pond for sailing, swimming, ice skating and fishing. However, the lake was officially closed for swimming in 1984 when the lake was said to be unhealthy. The slide appears to have been flipped and is most likely showing the image backwards.; Written on the casing of the slide is "Historic" & "1943";
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