Babson
Reservoir
and Sanctuary
[Eleven hundred and fifty acres]
THIS RESERVOIR, WATERSHED, AND
RESERVATION ARE FOR THE PEOPLE
OF GLOUCESTER, THE LAND HAVING
BEEN GIVEN IN MEMORY OF MY
FATHER AND MY GRANDFATHER WHO
ROAMED OVER THESE ROCKY HILLS–
THEY HAD THE VISION THAT SOME
DAY IT SHOULD BE CONSERVED FOR
THE USES OF THE CITY AND AS
AN INSPIRATION TO ALL LOVERS
OF GOD AND NATURE
-ROGER W BABSON, 1931
There are examples of land preservation, but featuring a watershed in 1931? Isn’t it wonderful! If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth a close look. I believe that it has definitely inspired many in Gloucester.
THE FIRST CLEAN HARBOR SWIM
Thank you to Deborah Cramer and Dan Greenbaum for sharing this memory and finding this Gloucester Daily Times article! This trio’s swim inspired Cape Ann’s Year of the Coast led by MassAudubon the following summer.
Related posts:
8/13/16, race above same day: And they’re back
8/13/16, Celebrate Clean Harbor Swim, and they’re off
8/12/16 Gloucester’s Clean Harbor: H2O No No’s are in the past – some history of the swim
8/10/16 Accclaimed writer, Gloucester resident, and one of the trio that inspired the Clean Harbor Swim Sarah Fraser Robbins excerpt ( the title of her classic book The Sea is All About Us was a nod to Gloucester summer resident TS Eliot’ Four Quartets)
8/6/16 litter 1978 Crackdown at the quarries
8/4/16 history of the swim and news about 2016 Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim
Good Morning Gloucester 
Says in all on the plaque and the articles walk back into history 🙂 Dave & Kim 🙂
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Does anyone know where I might find information on the water tower near Babson Reservoir? I have looked in a number of local books to no avail. My Dad was from Oklahoma and came here in the l930’s to build that tower with Chicago Bridge and Iron Works. The tower has since been taken down and my Dad has passed away. Thanks for any help.
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Thanks for adding in, Jeanne. I will pull this out into a post, too. Did your Dad stay on here then?
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