Each of these towns represents a different element of America’s development. Yet they all share the same fate: they, and hundreds of other communities like them, were vacated, demolished and flooded to make way for dams and reservoirs. Their remnants persist, preserved underwater, and sometimes emerge, as reminders of what was not allowed to be.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Swift River Valley Reverie ~ Fred Foster
By the 1930s Boston faced a critical water shortage. Unbridled growth combined with poor maintentance of its water systems. Only a small percentage of the water pumped in was ultimately used.
No one knew the extent of leaks, dead ends or layout of the unwieldy system. When more water was needed, rather than repair or place the infrastructure, residents of Western Massachusetts were asked to make way for the Quabbin Reservior. Many residents protested what they saw as a massive injustice and needless sacrifice. Nevertheless, the project was undertaken. Entire communities were evacuated. Graves were moved and "the fires of hell" cleared the land.
The ancestors of Fred Foster had settled in the town on Dana, which was destroyed as part of the project. For descendents like Foster, it is an ancestral home they "never knew". Foster performs his original song about this loss. In this video, historical photos preserved by Les Campbell, one of Swift River Valley's early residents, are combined with period photos of the actual construction.
No comments:
Post a Comment