Editing New Salem, Massachusetts (section)

== History ==
New Salem was first settled in 1737 and was officially incorporated in 1753, named for the settlers from [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] that founded the town.  The geography of New Salem benefited greatly from the construction of the [[Quabbin Reservoir]].  Prior to its building, New Salem, which has always been the southeastern corner of Franklin County, did not extend much further south than the village of Cooleyville, now along [[U.S. Route 202]].  However, with the formation of the reservoir, the town received all lands above the water line between the two forks of the reservoir, as it was the only land connection to the peninsula.  With its southern borders now following former branches of the Swift River, New Salem now includes most of the former town of [[Prescott, Massachusetts|Prescott]] (except for a small corner east of the Middle Branch of the Swift River, which is now in [[Petersham, Massachusetts|Petersham]]), and parts of [[Greenwich, Massachusetts|Greenwich]] and [[Enfield, Massachusetts|Enfield]].  (All of the northern half of Prescott had once belonged to New Salem; the southern half was originally part of [[Pelham, Massachusetts|Pelham]], but was annexed to Prescott in the latter nineteenth century.)  All the lands gained by the annexation were once part of [[Hampshire County, Massachusetts|Hampshire County]].

Today most of the lands it gained are off-limits, protected as part of the Quabbin Reservation, which is administered by the [[Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)|Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR)]].  The [[Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory]], until 2011,<ref name="fcraodecon">{{cite web|url=http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/01news/2011/072111-observatory.html|title=MWRA Historic Observatory at Quabbin Decommissioned|publisher=Massachusetts Water Resources Authority|access-date=October 17, 2012}}</ref> lay along what was once the Prescott-Greenwich town line, and researchers from the [[Five College Consortium|Five Colleges]] were allowed access to it.  Additionally, members of the Swift River Historical Society take a yearly tour of the area in the peninsula by bus.  No other access is permitted.