On April 27, 1938 at the stroke of midnight, four Massachusetts towns passed quietly out of existence. (This despite the fact that a Farewell Ball had been—until the church bells began to chime—in full swing.) The towns had been dis-incorporated in order for the state to build the Quabbin Reservoir, at the time the world’s largest manmade drinking reservoir. It had taken eleven long years to de-populated and dismantle the towns, to move more than 6000 bodies to a new cemeteries, to denude the land of trees and other vegetation, and to build the dike and the dam that would stop the Swift River and sink the places once known as Dana, Enfield, Greewhich and Prescott. From what I have read, the final moment was an emotional one.
I grew up drinking water from the Quabbin, but never knew the story behind its construction. As an adult, I have spent a good deal of time researching the towns and their demise … first out of a general interest in this forgotten history, and now in preparation for two book projects. As part of this research, I spent Sunday at the Quabbin Park Cemetery, final resting place for valley residents that passed away before and after the building of the reservoir. It is also the location of war monuments which once graced the four town commons.
In a truly moving Memorial Day ceremony, former residents of Dana, Enfield Greewhich and Prescott (there are only a handful of them still living) honored their war dead by laying wreaths at the base of each monument. Their families, valley descendents, and other interested Bay Staters (like me) looked on with hands on hearts. We pledged allegiance to the flag of these United States of America, listened to “Flander’s Field”, and “The Gettysburg Address”, wiped tears during a call and response rendition of Taps. It was a Memorial Day truly in memorium, and I will not soon forget it.
I hope you had a moment to remember over this Memorial Day holiday.