The Catskill Chronicle

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY (March 31, 2015) – The Time and the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville, Sullivan County, is requesting assistance in gathering historic materials for an important research project on the towns removed for the building of NYC’s Water Supply in the 1930s and 40s.

The “lost” towns of Bittersweet, Eureka, Lackawack, Montela and Neversink were removed and residents displaced when New York City came to the Catskills to build the Rondout and Neversink Reservoirs for their Delaware Water Supply System.

Over 1,500 residents were forced to move, loosing life-long connections to family, religious congregations, businesses and friends.

The Museum has created an interactive computer program that lists all of the families and the locations of their properties, now under the water of either the Rondout or Neversink reservoirs.

This computer program is available to all visitors. It provides access to scanned photos, documents, letters and reminiscences which allows family members and researchers to look up the information, and also preserves this information for future generations.

Unfortunately, some of the listings have little or no information, which can be disappointing for those visitors looking up information.

The Museum is seeking information on any family who had land or homes taken to build the reservoirs. If anyone has written materials, stories or photographs for families who lost their lands to NYC’s Rondout or Neversink Reservoirs please call 845-985-7700 or e-mail info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org. Original materials will be scanned and returned, and can be done while they wait. When completed, this will be the most comprehensive resource of historic materials on the five “lost” towns ever assembled.

Below are some of the names from the lost towns that have no information:

Eureka

1. William, Howard, Ward Dierfelter, 2. Melvin  DuBois, 3. Lee Dayton, 4. Granville, Vail Quick, 5. William Bevier, 6. Salome Whitely, 7. Nial Everett, 8. Abram Low, 9. William Carlisle, 10. Harrison, Willus Ryan

Montela

1. Conrad, Gordon, Mae Eck, 2. Cassie Porter, 3. John Coddington, 4. Orville Ackerley, 5. Champion Yale, 6. Alida, Wiliam  Vandemark, 7. Ulster Dole, 8. Phil Martin, 9. Leo Sheeley, 10. Maurice Tartakoff

Lackawack

1. Neil Keogan, 2. Mel, Fred, Earl Eck, 3. Charles Barthel, 4. Ezra Empt, 5. A rlo Brown, 6. Elmer Christana, 7. Roy Curry, 8. Ray, Dora Herman, 9. Ben Osterhout, 10. Shield

Neversink & Bittersweet

1. George Asthulter, 2. Morris Begon, 3. Alonzo Benjamin, 4. Nellie Briggs, 5. William Chandler, 6. George Countryman, 7. Mabel, Pluma Cross, 8. James Curry, 9. Bruce Decker, 10. George, Iona Edwards