The Wachusett Dam & Reservoir
Before There Was A Dam©
How they built it and what became of the people who lived there
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11.29.24
Wachusett Dam – Site Preparation
Wachusett Dam – Site Preparations
The Wachusett Dam is a huge structure…that is plain to see. The preparations to the site would be huge as well, taking almost five years from the start to put everything in place before the work on the dam itself could be started.
Water was everywhere. In its naturally occurring state and especially in its supply to the newly formed, and thirsty, metropolitan area miles away and it all had to be tightly controlled.
This is the story of the initial effort aimed at maintaining a safe and orderly work site for years on end.
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Paul…
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Most Popular Articles
Clinton Catholic Cemetery – The largest of the cemeteries which had to moved because of the rising waters, its colorful story is retold here.
One Man, One Shovel – rarely had so much dirt been moved by hand, a task completed with the most basic of tools…the shovel.
Get a Horse! – The horse had been around for centuries but was far from obsolete. Here is the story of the horse and its contribution to the Wachusett Dam & Reservoir.
Diversity at the Dam – Strong men came from all over to the huge project where there was opportunity for all who were willing to work hard for a good wage.
Coach & Sandy – the area around the submerged/buried ponds, South Main Street and South Meadow Road cutoffs
The Wachusett Aqueduct delivered water, by tunnel and open stream, to the Sudbury Reservoir in Framingham 12 miles away. Since replaced, it still functions as a backup water supply.
Scar Bridge – This bridge once carried Scar Hill Road traffic across the Nashua River in Boylston but today remains submerged in place
Channel Velocity Control – it was imperative to slow the water down in the spillway before it could erode the banks of the millpond and, perhaps, topple the railroad bridge.
The Villages at West Boylston – Four separate villages surrounding the Old Church were submerged. Here is their story. Presented by students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
See for Yourself!
Source Documents for this site – 8,000+ Images
Explore the wide array of contemporary photographs, available in the public domain, that were used for the articles presented here.
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email: paul@pmarrone.com