North Dana Massachusetts Quabbin Reservoir Lost Town Post Office Gas Pump Real Photo Postcard

North Dana, Massachusetts, was a small, rural New England village situated in the Swift River Valley, characteristic of many such communities in the early 20th century. This postcard, likely from the 1910s or 1920s given the co-existence of horse-drawn vehicles and an early automobile, depicts its post office, a central institution often located within a general store, serving as a vital communication and community hub.

The town of North Dana, along with three other communities (Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott), was disincorporated in 1938 to facilitate the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, a massive water supply project for Greater Boston. This forced relocation and destruction of an entire townscape represents a significant and controversial chapter in Massachusetts history, making images like this rare documentation of a lost community.