New Salem, MA

Lost Towns, Found Memories

Almost a century ago, Stella Haney’s father held his breath as water commissioners announced which towns in the Swift River Valley would be flooded to create Quabbin Reservoir, a new water supply for the Boston area. When the announcement was over, Prescott, Dana, Enfield, and Greenwich were on the list, along with two thirds of New Salem (current pop. 929)—but Haney’s family home on Millington Road was spared.

“They drew the line just before our house. We were very grateful,” says Stella, New Salem’s librarian for the last 50 years.

The Swift River Valley—called Noni Quabbin (well-watered place) by American Indians—in the late 1800s was a sparsely populated area of forests, farmlands, ponds, and clear rivers in central Massachusetts. Some 65 miles to the east, Boston and other towns faced a looming water shortage, however, and engineers had been eyeing the valley for some time. Damming the Swift River would provide 415 billion gallons of pure water that could flow by gravity to Boston.

The purchase of land began in 1883, says Everett L. Downing whose family left Enfield in 1937. Over the next few decades the commission bought 80,000 acres for the reservoir. As some 2,000 people moved away, cemeteries were relocated and buildings were either razed or moved to higher ground.

In August 1939, the dam was finished, the impoundment area was empty, and flooding began on what was, at the time, the world’s largest man-made reservoir created solely for drinking water.

Today, the Quabbin Reservoir—a 58,000-acre recreation area of hills, forests, and crystal clear water—supplies the needs of more than 2.5 million people in the metropolitan Boston area.

For the valley people it was—understandably—an unhappy time. But rather than dwell on their loss, the Swift River Valley Historical Society was founded in 1936 to collect and honor the memories of those whose lives the Quabbin had altered. Originally housed in the New Salem library, the society began amassing documents, photographs, and memorabilia from the lost towns, the people who built them, and the lives they led.

Today, the library houses many books on the region’s history and miniatures of lost structures and is part of a self-guided walking tour that includes the 1794 meeting house, New Salem Academy, and other buildings around the town common. The society outgrew the library in 1965, relocating just north of New Salem center. On the lawn are honor rolls for servicemen from the lost towns who served in World War II—which started after the towns were gone.

The main building is an 1816 home saved from the flooding. Inside, among military funeral flags, antique clothing, and old photographs, is a tabletop diorama of the valley showing every structure that existed in 1938. Harvey Dickinson, a society board member who grew up in Greenwich, shows his former home and nearby Quabbin Pond where he swam as a child.

A second building is a church saved from Prescott. Fully renovated, it serves for special functions and genealogy research.

The third building, a carriage shed built in 1990, houses town and railroad depot signs, antique bottles, and a dugout canoe. A replica of an 1800s schoolhouse there showcases education of a century ago.

“As soon as we expanded, items started pouring in,” says director Elizabeth L. Peirce, society president. Many come from survivors and their descendants.

Society volunteers give tours. Some spend time sifting through photos and documents. Downing found a photo of his great-grandfather and of his sisters as girls in Enfield’s schools. Townspeople have contributed documents over the years, so the collection is extensive. The society often helps people find connections to the Swift River Valley.

Though folklore about the Quabbin exists—stories of ghost towns beneath the water—it’s the history and preservation work, and the memories of their towns, that make the people of Swift River Valley most proud.

Anna Viadero writes from her home in Montague, Mass.

Upload Your Own Stories, Photos and Videos

Every week, American Profile magazine brings you stories that celebrate the people and places that make America great. Now we want to hear your stories and see your photos, videos and even audio.

 Start Uploading Now!

 

Discuss this Article