Dunham Pond (Carver, Massachusetts)

Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 to 1691 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on the Mayflower at a location that had previously been surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement served as the capital of the colony and developed as the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. At its height, Plymouth Colony occupied most of the southeastern portion of Massachusetts. Many of the people and events surrounding Plymouth Colony have become part of American folklore, including the American tradition of Thanksgiving and the monument of Plymouth Rock.: 2 Plymouth Colony was founded by a group of Protestant Separatists initially known as the Brownist Emigration, who came to be known as the Pilgrims. It was the second successful colony to be founded by the English in America after Jamestown in Virginia, and it was the first permanent English settlement in the New England region. The colony established a treaty with Wampanoag Chief Massasoit which helped to ensure its success; in this, they were aided by Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe. Plymouth played a central role in King Philip's War (1675–1678), one of several Indian Wars, but the colony was ultimately merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories in 1691 to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Despite the colony's relatively short existence, Plymouth holds a special role in American history. Most of the citizens of Plymouth were fleeing religious persecution and searching for a place to worship as they saw fit, rather than being entrepreneurs like many of the settlers of Jamestown, Virginia. The social and legal systems of the colony became closely tied to their religious beliefs, as well as to English custom.: 2 

Sampsons Pond (also called Sampson's Pond and Sampson Pond) is a 310-acre (1.3 km2) warm water infertile pond in Carver, Massachusetts, in the South Carver section of town, southwest of Dunham Pond. The pond has an average depth of nine feet and a maximum depth of 14 feet (4.3 m). The water is clear with a transparency of 12 feet (3.7 m). Access to the pond is a paved launching ramp off Lake View St. suitable for trailer boats. Although there is no launching fee, the Town of Carver requires a sticker for one to park on town land next to the ramp. Sampsons Pond was once a marsh. During the early 19th century Carver was a big producer of bog iron. Sampsons Pond was dug out for its iron ore. This accounts for the rusty color seen in the water, as well as the pieces of ore that can be found in the area.

Federal Pond is a 129-acre (0.52 km2) pond in Carver and Plymouth, Massachusetts. A small portion of the northeastern shore of the pond is in the Myles Standish State Forest. The pond is located southwest of Rocky Pond and Curlew Pond, and northeast of Dunham Pond. Two unnamed islands lie in the middle of the pond. The water quality is impaired due to non-native aquatic plants and non-native fish species. The only road leading to the pond, Old Federal Road in Carver, is a private road. As such, the pond is officially off limits to the public, although a high tension line right of way crosses the northern tip of the pond and is frequented by sport fishermen.

King Richard's Faire is a Renaissance Faire held in Carver, Massachusetts, which recreates a 16th-century marketplace, including handmade crafts, foods, musicians, singers, dancers, minstrels, mimes, jugglers, whip artists, magicians, comedians, puppeteers, acrobats, animal acts, mud beggars, stilt walkers, knights jousting on horseback, a royal court, and the fictional King Richard. King Richard's Faire is the largest and longest-running Renaissance Faire in New England.

South Carver is a village in the town of Carver, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. South Carver is the location of the main entrance to the Myles Standish State Forest and of the Edaville Railroad and King Richard's Faire. The cultivation and processing of cranberries is the predominant economic activity in South Carver.The ZIP code for South Carver is 02366 but South Carver also uses Carver's 02330.

South Meadow Pond is a 17-acre (69,000 m2) pond in Carver, Massachusetts, United States. The pond is located southwest of Plymouth Municipal Airport. The pond is the gateway to South Meadow Village, a community limited to people age 55 and over. It has an abundance of pickerel, some ranging to 24 inches. It is a very weedy pond, difficult to fish and best fished from a canoe.

Carver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,645 at the 2020 census. It is named for John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony. The town features two popular tourist attractions: Edaville USA theme park and King Richard's Faire, the largest and longest-running renaissance fair in New England.

Carver Middle High School is a public school located in Carver, Massachusetts, United States. This school was formerly two different schools, Carver Middle School (6–8) and Carver High School (9–12) in one building with both schools sharing the library and auditorium. The school became under one principal in 2008–09 school year. This school became officially Carver Middle High School the following school year. It is located at 60 South Meadow Rd. and has an enrollment of 489 students in grades 6–8, and 537 students in grades 9–12. The school's mascot is the Crusaders and the school colors are Maroon and Silver/Gray. The principal is Mrs. Christine Cabral. The assistant principals are Mr. Dillon Antell (6–8) and Mr. Sean McGinnis (9–12)

Rocky Pond is an 18-acre (73,000 m2) pond in the Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The pond is located south of Curlew Pond. There is another Rocky Pond, which is better known as Big Rocky Pond, within Plymouth's borders in the West Wind Shores neighborhood.

Curlew Pond is a 43-acre (170,000 m2) natural warm water pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts, located in the Myles Standish State Forest. Called "Clear Pond" and then "Clew Pond" in the 19th century, the pond is located north of Rocky Pond and south of Kings Pond. The average depth is 11 feet (3.4 m) and the maximum depth is 31 feet (9.4 m). The source for this pond is groundwater, and there is no outlet. Access to the pond, suitable for car top boats and canoes, is at the northern shore. There are two beaches located on both sides to the boat access. About half of the pond is surrounded by the Curlew Pond public camping area of the Myles Standish State Forest, although a number of privately leased cottages ring the northeastern shore of the pond. The southern section is adjacent to the privately owned Blueberry Hill Camping Area.The pond was in the vicinity of a large forest fire in 1902 which burned thousands of acres of forest.

Edaville Railroad (also branded Edaville USA and Edaville Family Theme Park) is a heritage railroad and amusement park in South Carver, Massachusetts, opened in 1947, and temporally closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The park was only open for the Christmastime season in 2021, and will reopen under new management for the 2022 Christmastime season (see history section). It is one of the oldest heritage railroad operations in the United States. It is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge line that operates excursion trains for tourists, built by the late Ellis D. Atwood (initials E.D.A., for which Edaville is named) on his sprawling cranberry plantation in Southeastern Massachusetts.: 45 

Barrett Pond is a 16-acre (65,000 m2), warm water pond in the Myles Standish State Forest in Carver, Massachusetts, located less than ½ mile north of the forest headquarters, west of East Head Reservoir, and southwest of College Pond in Plymouth. The pond has an average depth of six feet and a maximum depth of 17 feet (5.2 m). Most of the shoreline is undeveloped except for a campground area on the eastern shore. Access is possible off Lower College Pond Road and is suitable only for car top boats or canoes, electric motors only.