Neversink Reservoir ~ Neversink, NY

Old Neversink (once called Neversink Flats) was formed from Rochester on March 16, 1798. The original act shows that the town covered a portion of what is now Fallsburgh, Liberty, Callicoon and Fremont.

Neversink (whose fateful name is said to be derived from the Indian word ne-wa-sink, meaning continuously flowing) was the larger of two communities that were removed from the reservoir site in 1942. The other town was called Bittersweet.

The population in 1870 was 2,458. During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, it contained 20 school districts, in which 19 teachers were employed. The number of children of school age was 1,035; the number attending school, 842.

A total of 340 people were evicted from the valley and 6,149 acres condemned. Some buildings were relocated to nearby towns, though most were bulldozed and burned in a “final harvest.” Trees were removed, cellars were filled in, privies disinfected and even barnyard manure was said to have been dug up, to maintain New York City’s reputation for having the finest quality drinking water possible.

The Neversink Reservoir began to flood the land on June 4, 1953, and took two years to fill.