Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Quabbin Valley: Life As It Was
    Quabbin Valley: Life As It Was
    Quabbin Valley: Life As It Was
    Ebook156 pages27 minutes

    Quabbin Valley: Life As It Was

    By Elizabeth Peirce

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Quaben, the Nipmuc Indian word for "many waters," was the name originally given to the area of central Massachusetts that is now known as the Quabbin Valley.


    The abundance of ponds, lakes, and streams in the region made it an obvious target for those seeking new water sources to supply the escalating population of Boston in the late 19th century. However, the little towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott that were established in the area stood in the way. Following an act of the legislature in 1926, these towns were disincorporated, and the 2,500 inhabitants were given modest compensation and ordered to leave. By 1938, the former towns were flooded and stood at the floor of the reservoir, which held the potential of 420 billion gallons of water to be outsourced eastward. Never to be forgotten, the story of the lost towns and their former residents are displayed through artifacts housed at the Swift River Valley Historical Society in North New Salem.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJan 19, 2015
    ISBN9781439649275
    Quabbin Valley: Life As It Was
    Author

    Elizabeth Peirce

    Elizabeth Peirce, author of Images of America: The Lost Towns of the Quabbin Valley and Quabbin Valley: People and Places, has drawn images from the Swift River Valley Historical Society to complete her trilogy. Her interest in the compelling story of the area began with her marriage into a displaced family from Prescott.

    Related to Quabbin Valley

    Related ebooks

    Photography For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Looking Back 200 Years

      Mar 16, 2020

      Looking Back 200 Years
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Diamond In The Rough

      Aug 4, 2021

      A Diamond In The Rough
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Diamond In The Rough

      Jun 16, 2021

      A Diamond In The Rough
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Rise And Shine

      Jun 10, 2022

      Rise And Shine
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Old Town New Prospects

      Jul 3, 2019

      Old Town New Prospects
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Faraway Nearby

      Feb 27, 2020

      The Faraway Nearby
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Cowshed Couture

      Jan 29, 2023

      Cowshed Couture
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Lighthouse Over Yonder

      Feb 17, 2020

      Lighthouse Over Yonder
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Heart Of Queensland

      Apr 12, 2023

      The Heart Of Queensland
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      What's Brewing In Kent?

      Jul 11, 2019

      What's Brewing In Kent?
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Legend Of The Lost Valley

      May 17, 2023

      The Legend Of The Lost Valley
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      About Town Te Anau

      Apr 19, 2021

      About Town Te Anau
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Across The Middle

      Mar 6, 2024

      Across The Middle
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Lost And Found

      Sep 19, 2024

      Lost And Found
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Legend Of The Lost Valley

      Sep 30, 2022

      The Legend Of The Lost Valley
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Town That Time Forgot

      Dec 12, 2016

      A Town That Time Forgot
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      To The Mainland

      Dec 6, 2020

      To The Mainland
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Rickle Of Stones

      Sep 27, 2024

      A Rickle Of Stones
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Buchan & BEYOND

      Aug 19, 2022

      For many years I have been fascinated by my Scottish roots, fuelled by tales my grandmother used to tell me of her childhood growing up in rural Aberdeenshire. Even the names – Maud, New Deer, Cowbog, Brucklay Castle – were intriguing. But it took th

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      What’s The Point?

      Jun 24, 2019

      What’s The Point?
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Wild In The Wye

      Aug 5, 2021

      Wild In The Wye
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Town & Country

      Jan 4, 2023

      Town & Country
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Tracks Through Time

      Jan 8, 2024

      Tracks Through Time
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Nantucket Doesn’t Belong to the Preppies

      Aug 30, 2021

      Photographs by Amani Willett I caught the fast ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket, 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. As the boat plowed the waves, I was taken aback by my first view of the island. I could see it all at once, end to end, 14 miles

      12 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Lost Village

      Aug 25, 2022

      Lost Village
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Amazing Discoveries

      Jan 20, 2021

      Amazing Discoveries
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Town & Country Notebook

      Feb 14, 2024

      1) What would one measure using a pluviometer? 2) Which English Prime Minister had the first names William Ewart? 3) What institution is known as the ‘old lady of Threadneedle Street’? 4) ‘Fill-dike’ is a rural name for which month? 5) What are Rum,

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Quabbin Valley

    5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Quabbin Valley - Elizabeth Peirce

      Society.

      INTRODUCTION

      For many generations, the Nipmuc Indian tribe occupied the area known today as the Quabbin Valley. They called it Quaben, meaning, many waters. They were nomadic and only remained in the valley as long as the hunting and fishing was good. Then the canoe would be submerged to preserve and hide it, with the Nipmucs retrieving it the next spring, upon their return from winter quarters. One of the oldest artifacts at the Swift River Valley Historical Society in North New Salem is a dugout canoe found when the excavation was being done on Morton Pond in Enfield in the 1930s.

      The Quabbin Reservoir located in central Massachusetts was built in the late 1800s to fulfill a need for clean, pure water for the growing population of Boston. The idea was brilliant, the construction, spectacular, and the cost of the project, remarkable. It came about, however, at a high cost in human suffering for the 2,500 inhabitants living in the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott, who were forced to give up all they had worked for in a place they had thought would be their home forever. The rumors of impending evacuation had circulated for several years, but the final blow came in April 1938, when the dreaded eviction notices arrived by registered mail. No provision was made to help them relocate or find employment. That is how it was.

      The Swift River Valley Historical Society in North New Salem became the repository for artifacts and remnants. It is here that the docents and staff tell and retell the stories of life in the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. Visitors hear about what people did for a living. They see the dishes used by the Dana Grange. They see the furniture used, the books and games in the schoolroom, the lunch pails, and even the leather punishment strap. They see the teacher’s bell that was rung to signal the end of recess. In the Carriage Shed, the visitor sees farm tools and the Dana fire truck. The society’s mission is to keep the memories alive by telling it as it was.

      Among the many artifacts are photo albums, which became popular after the Brownie camera became affordable. People started taking pictures of everyday events—the children at play, the men at work, the pet dog and cat, the garden, the flowers. They took pictures at family reunions, Old Home Day, picnics, parades and birthday parties, and at the many camps and cottages where the good times provided good photo opportunities. These albums could be shared and enjoyed over and over. Many have come to the museum, and it is from these that images have been heavily drawn for this book.

      Through the years, the Quabbin Valley has suffered many natural disasters. The terrifying tornado of 1894 caused much damage and left many scars. The hurricane that hit New England in 1938 caused massive destruction within the watershed. Fires and lightning strikes also took their toll.

      The Blizzard of 1888 was one of the most talked-about events in New England history. Only word pictures exist, written by those who endured it. A blizzard is defined as a

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1