Contributing Writer
REGION – In the late 1870s, it had become apparent that the city of Boston and surrounding communities were in dire need of an updated water supply. This was caused by a huge expansion in the city’s population – in the century from 1795 to 1895, the population had increased from 19,000 to 750,000 people – and an antiquated distribution system that used hollow wooden logs to distribute water. Other factors included the introduction of indoor plumbing in the late 1800s and the Great Boston Fire of 1872. This disaster resulted in one of the greatest losses of homes and businesses in the history of the United States.
Nashua River dam
After some investigation, the Metropolitan Water Board settled on the idea of building a dam across the Nashua River in the town of Clinton. Construction on what would become known as the Wachusett Reservoir (known today by many locals as “the Res” or “the Chu”) began in 1897. When it was completed, it was the largest man-made water supply reservoir in the entire world…