Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley, Elena Palladino
Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley, Elena Palladino
List: $15.99 | Sale: $11.20
Club: $7.99

Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley
Drowned by the Quabbin

Author: Elena Palladino

Narrator: Rachel Perry

Unabridged: 4 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/22/2023


Synopsis

In April 1938, Swift River Valley residents held a farewell ball to mark the demise of the quintessential New England town of Enfield and its three smaller neighbors, Greenwich, Dana, and Prescott.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts sacrificed these three towns to build the Quabbin, a massive reservoir of drinking water for residents of Boston. Three prominent residents attended the somber occasion. Marion Andrews Smith was the last surviving member of an important manufacturing family. Willard "Doc" Segur was the valley's beloved country doctor and town leader. And Edwin Henry Howe was Enfield's postmaster and general store proprietor. They helped build their beloved community for decades, only to watch grief-stricken as it was destroyed by 400 billion gallons of water.

Author and historian Elena Palladino recounts the story of these communities as seen through eyes of those who lived there until the end.

About Elena Palladino

Elena Palladino grew up in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and now lives with her family in Marion Smith's former home in Ware. She holds a BA in English from Simmons College, an MA in literary and cultural studies from Carnegie Mellon University, and an EdM in higher education from Harvard University. She works in higher education in Western Massachusetts. Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley is her first book.


Reviews

This book really gave an understanding of three of the many people affected by the creation of Quabbin reservoir. They had so many years of the threat of loosing their homes! The chapters on how Boston struggled to figure out how to get drinking water for it's population were very interesting. So ma......more

Goodreads review by Nick

A very good, quick read. Nothing incredibly groundbreaking for a local historian to read…but a good introduction to the topic.......more