Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley: Drowned by the Quabbin Paperback – October 10, 2022

Great book

As noted in previous reviews, this book’s personal perspective sets it apart from others I have read on this subject. It almost has a first person feel to it. And probably due to this perspective, one gets a stronger sense for how time must have dragged out for these residents. The loss of their towns transpired over many years as more people moved out and businesses closed; a slow drip-drip-drip toward ultimate loss. The middle section of the book focuses on attempts to meet Boston’s growing water needs over the decades, a key background to the subject. This included the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir which, while not wiping out entire towns, was still something of a prelude to the far more evasive creation of the larger reservoir to its west a few decades later. Just shy of 150 pages in length, it is an easy read and I would strongly recommend the book to anyone with interest in the subject.

Author Elena Palladino has written a well researched, historical book with specific dates and facts. What makes this book so enjoyable is she brought to life the tragic history of the loss of 4 great long established towns in central Massachusetts in order to service the water needs of a growing Boston Massachusetts region by introducing us to some of the main individuals that lived through this heart wrenching experience of watching their beloved towns be destroyed before their very eyes. A must read for anyone interested in how these people lived and lost but still managed to carry on.

Many people are aware that 4 towns were disincorporated to build the Quabbin Reservoir. What the readers of this well researched book will learn is how devastating the project was for residents of Enfield and the other towns. You'll appreciate having a glass of water wherever you may be. For people living in the Boston area, they should be extra appreciative due to the turmoil surrounding the building of the Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike that ultimately drowned four towns in the Swift River Valley.

If you are interested in the history of the Quabbin this book is a must.. many details that you won't find in the other books.

Elena Palladino has written a definitive history on the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. She starts with the house she lives in and traces its origin through Marian Smith and her contemporaries, forced to leave their homes when the town is flooded.

The Quabbin feels, at first, like a place of beauty and quiet - a sort of inland ocean that divides the state in half. Lost Towns gets (literally) to the bottom of that facade to tell the story of the four rural towns that were taken and flooded for the benefit of Boston. While the story is familiar to a lot of those who live west of Boston, this book tells it through personal histories and first-hand narratives in a way that grounds and humanizes the loss. The lack of self-pity in the book is surprising, and the repeated story of residents asking for a swift end to their towns instead of trying to fight the machinery of Boston was unexpected and heart-wrenching. This is a fast, good read, and a new look at a familiar (but not familiar enough) story.

I love how this book is written. The author has clearly done thorough research, but I also love the personal feelings she brings to the book. Living in such a historic house makes this book so much more inviting and interesting.