Author: beforetherewasadam_050rbj

Clinton Catholic Cemetery

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir beforetherewasadam.com Clinton Catholic Cemetery Entrance to St. John’s Catholic Cemetery near Sandy Pond, looking west. In Clinton, Mass. abundant water power in the southern part facilitated the development of large textile mills. In the 1850s a large influx of (Roman Catholic) Irish newcomers settled there to pursue their fortunes working these… Continue reading Clinton Catholic Cemetery

Scar Bridge

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir Scar Bridge Sonar Image, AUSS, Ltd; Provided by J Gregoire The Bridge Over Scar Hill Road This bridge is one of several in the Wachusett Reservoir abandoned in place when it was filled with water. It once provided a river crossing for traffic on the the main road between Boylston and… Continue reading Scar Bridge

Assabet Bridge

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir   The Assabet Bridge & Aqueduct Located in Northborough, this bridge is a straight span of seven stone arches, crossing over Hudson Street near Allen Street and the Assabet River. Built to carry a section of the Wachusett Aqueduct from the Wachusett Reservoir to Sudbury Reservoir, it is used as a… Continue reading Assabet Bridge

One Man…One Shovel

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir One Man…One Shovel How They Moved Over 7 Million Cubic Yards of Soil with Just a Shovel     “The Largest Hand-Dug Dam in the World” So it’s been said. In those days America was undergoing the Industrial Revolution and very large projects were everywhere. Development of diesel-powered earthmoving equipment was… Continue reading One Man…One Shovel

Get a Horse!

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir Get a Horse! Hard to imagine what life would be like without automobiles, trucks or diesel machines. Yet, the people were the same. They made do with what they had, just as they have always done. At the time this project was built, available power systems included electricity, steam, compressed air,… Continue reading Get a Horse!

Coach & Sandy

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir What Lies Beneath Coach & Sandy The Causeway between Coachlace Pond (foreground) and Sandy Pond (looking south, between the two schools today) Looking west across Sandy Pond from the Causeway (The Roman Catholic Cemetery and South Meadow Road is off to the right.)   The coming of the Wachusett Reservoir to… Continue reading Coach & Sandy

Pool and Fountain

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir Hidden Hydraulics at the Dam Pool and Fountain This part of the series addresses the flow of water after it leaves the Lower Gate House and makes its way downstream through the pool and fountain before passing the crest of the overflow weir and entering the river (millpond) below. Please note… Continue reading Pool and Fountain

Lower Gate House

Wachusett Dam & Reservoir Hidden Hydraulics at the Dam Lower Gate House Excerpted from the: Sixth Annual Report of Metropolitan Water Board for the Year 1900 Annual Report of the Chief Engineer Dam Design Details Lower Gate Chamber The lower gate-chamber is located immediately below the dam and is to serve as a head house… Continue reading Lower Gate House