Heritage

A Lost Valley Beneath the Water

According to DCR, “For thousands of years this valley was part of the territory of the Nipmuc Indians, who referred to the area as Quabbin, or “the meeting of many waters.” By the 17th century their population had declined, decimated by war and disease, and the valley was rapidly settled by Europeans drawn by the abundance of water and rich farmland.” Fast forward to the late 19th century, and Boston was rapidly exceeding its existing water supply and was looking further westward for a source of clean drinking water.

To create the Quabbin Reservoir, four towns (Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott) were disincorporated and their residents displaced in the early 20th century. Homes were moved or demolished, but echoes of these lost communities remain. As you hike the 53 public access trails around the Quabbin, you’ll walk along old roads, past stone walls, and foundations of buildings that once stood here.

To dive deeper into the powerful story behind the Quabbin’s creation, visit the Les and Terry Campbell DCR Visitor Center in Belchertown where you can purchase books about the history of the Quabbin as well as maps or the Swift River Valley Historical Society in New Salem. Many other local historical societies throughout the region also help preserve and share this compelling history, and you can find links to them to the left.

You can also start with this brochure about the history of the Quabbin area.  You can also learn about the drinking water system history, the Lost Valley, and the Rabbit Run Railroad.