The mystery of Newstead Montegrade
By adamg - 4/5/05 - 10:41 pm
Every time eeka does a MapQuest search that involves Roxbury, a place called Newstead Montegrade shows up.
Now according to the map, it's just a spot in Franklin Park, but you can find it by searching for the "city" of Newstead Montegrade, MA. Do a Google search and you find plenty of other sites that also seem to think Newstead Montegrade is one of Massachusetts' 351 cities and towns (or should that be 352?). In a word, WTF?
This site offers Newstead Montegrade weather and invites users to upload Newstead Montegrade photos. This site notes that Newstead Montegrade is one of the nearest cities to Roxbury Crossing. And this site offers "Newstead Montegrade Adult Chat."
For $9.95, you can buy a topographical map that includes Newstead Montegrade (map is non-returnable, so make sure you really want it).
The youth of Newstead Montegrade are Taking IT Global (whatever IT is).
Field trip, anyone?




Comments
Topographical maps
By Ron Newman - 4/6/05 - 7:58 am
The site that sells USGS topo maps includes this warning:
I don't have a printed copy of the very latest USGS map, but I do have a Rubel's Boston Bikemap which is based on USGS. It does not show Newstead Montegrade.
Topozone.com has heard of Newstead Montegrade, with latitude 42.311ºN, 71.096ºW, elevation 150 feet.
But the resulting map doesn't show it marked, not even if you zoom in. It does not appear to be a hilltop.
If we do take a field trip looking for this, I recommend bringing along a GPS.
A populated place?
By Ron Newman - 4/6/05 - 8:54 am
The USGS Geographic Names Information Service says that it is a geographic feature whose type is "populated place". Which is pretty funny, given that it is in the middle of a forested area in Franklin Park.
Its FIPS55 Place Code is 45530, if that means anything to you (it doesn't to me).
I'm sending an e-mail to asking if s/he knows anything more about how this got into their database.
Reply from USGS
By Ron Newman - 4/6/05 - 1:15 pm
From:
Subject: Re: What is Newstead Montegrade?
To: Ron Newman
Sender: Roger L Payne <rpayne@usgs.gov>
We have had inquires regarding this name before now. It is included because it was an historical name used to refer to this neighborhood, and is still known historically.
Manager GNIS
703.648.4544
HEE!
By eeka - 4/6/05 - 1:54 pm
But why's it in Franklin Park?
Well, Franklin Park wasn't al
By Ron Newman - 4/6/05 - 1:56 pm
Well, Franklin Park wasn't always a park. It probably used to be someone's farm. More than that, I don't know offhand.
Newstead Montegrade visitors report
By Universal Hub (trackback) (not verified) - 4/7/05 - 8:20 am
The must-see destination of the year!
Earlier: The mystery of Newstead Montegrade.
Hmm...
By eeka - 4/7/05 - 9:43 am
I've not yet gotten a reply from the guy who owns newsteadmontegrade.com. I wonder if my voicemail weirded him out.
I think I'm going to go get an account on Newstead Montegrade Adult Chat this weekend though. I mean, how much more fun can you get, having X-rated chat about Massachusetts' big little city?
ADAM!
By eeka - 4/7/05 - 9:43 am
When I posted the previous comment, THIS popped up:
http://spe.atdmt.com/ds/TBTLAASKJASK/&q=
I'm not getting anything like
By Ron Newman - 4/7/05 - 9:46 am
I'm not getting anything like that, even when I turn off Safari's default popup blocking.
Newstead Montegrade: The truth comes out
By Universal Hub (trackback) (not verified) - 4/15/05 - 1:12 pm
Here's another great thing about Boston: The reference desk at the BPL. You ask them a question, and they answer it. When the whole Newstead Montegrade issue exploded into the news a couple weeks back