Water, Water Everywhere: 100 Years of Framingham Water Works

Framingham was blessed from its beginning with a bountiful supply of fresh water - two major rivers, the Sudbury, and Stony Brook, several ponds, and beneath the ground one of the largest aquifers in the entire state of Massachusetts.  As a result nearly every major water works program in the state has gone through Framingham. At the same time, the town found itself with a serious water shortage at the end of the nineteenth century, just as its population was rising dramatically. 

Why? Town Historian, Fred Wallace, and FHC researcher, Ruthann Tomassini, will uncover a fascinating chain of events from 1846-1931 including massive construction projects, land takings, power politics, and science. They will also present some remarkable photographs from state and local archives illustrating changes to our land and waterways over the course of 100 years.

Photo: Weston Aqueduct, Section 2, easterly across Belknap's land, from station 14, Framingham, Mass., Aug. 19, 1901. Massachusetts Metropolitan Water Works Photograph Collection, 1876-1930.