"People in the Esopus Valley hardly knew what was about to happen when New York City officials came calling, talking about damming the creek to build a reservoir. The city would use its power of eminent domain to take their farms and homes. Villages were flooded by water up to 100 feet deep ..."
The building of the Catskill Water System is the tale of heroism and heartbreak, political maneuvering, lost villages, brilliant engineering and a power struggle between New York City and the Catskills. Completed in stages between 1915 and 1926, the Ashokin and Schoharie Reservoirs were built by thousands of stone cutters, bridge builders, railroad workers, tunnel diggers and mule drivers.
The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, NY. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several reservoirs created to provide the City of New York with water. However, it is one of only two reservoirs in the Catskill Watershed. It is also New York City's deepest reservoir, being over 190 feet. Primary inflow is the Esopus Creek and outflow.
To accommodate it, nine villages were either removed or obliterated forever. These included West Hurley, Ashton, Glenford, Brown's Station, Olive, Brodhead Bridge, Shokan, West Shokan and Boiceville.
Eleven miles of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad tracks were taken up and relocated. 64 miles of highway were discontinued, including a long stretch of the famous Plank Road and 40 new miles of boulevard built, mainly of macadam. Ten new bridges were constructed. A sensational feature was the removal from 32 cemeteries of 2,800 bodies or skeletons, including those of many soldiers of the Revolution, and their reinterment in new pine boxes in neighboring graveyards.
The building of the Catskill Water System is the tale of heroism and heartbreak, political maneuvering, lost villages, brilliant engineering and a power struggle between New York City and the Catskills. Completed in stages between 1915 and 1926, the Ashokin and Schoharie Reservoirs were built by thousands of stone cutters, bridge builders, railroad workers, tunnel diggers and mule drivers.
The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, NY. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several reservoirs created to provide the City of New York with water. However, it is one of only two reservoirs in the Catskill Watershed. It is also New York City's deepest reservoir, being over 190 feet. Primary inflow is the Esopus Creek and outflow.
To accommodate it, nine villages were either removed or obliterated forever. These included West Hurley, Ashton, Glenford, Brown's Station, Olive, Brodhead Bridge, Shokan, West Shokan and Boiceville.
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| Old Town of West Hurley |
After 9/11, the New York City water supply once again became big news. To protect the Ashokan Reservoir, barricades and police officers were placed along strategic points.
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