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Submerged: Aerial Insights into America’s Flooded Places

Imagine standing at the edge of a serene lake, its calm waters reflecting the sky above. But beneath this tranquil surface lies...

Author

Brett Perry
August 15, 2024

Submerged: Aerial Insights into America’s Flooded Places

Author: Jason Smith

Imagine standing at the edge of a serene lake, its calm waters reflecting the sky above. But beneath this tranquil surface lies a world long forgotten—roads that once bustled with activity, railroads that carried passengers and goods, and small towns where people lived, worked, and raised their families. These are the submerged histories of America’s man-made lakes, where progress and necessity led to the flooding of entire communities.

Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts. (Mass.gov)

The creation of man-made lakes and reservoirs became a common practice in the United States during the 20th century, particularly as the nation sought to harness water resources for hydroelectric power, irrigation, and flood control. While these lakes brought significant benefits, their construction often came at a great cost to the land—and lives—they submerged. Farms, roads, railroads, and even entire villages were sacrificed to create these vast bodies of water. Today, these lakes serve as popular recreational spots, yet few realize the stories hidden beneath their depths.

Take, for example, the town of Enfield, Massachusetts, once a quaint New England town nestled in the Swift River Valley, with a history dating back to the 1700s. In the 1930s, the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, one of the largest man-made public water supplies in the United States, brought an end to this community.

Aerial view of town of Enfield, Massachusetts in 1938. (HistoricAerials.com)

The reservoir was built to provide water to the growing city of Boston, but it required the flooding of the entire Swift River Valley, including Enfield and three other towns. On April 28, 1938, the town of Enfield was officially disincorporated, and soon after, its buildings were razed or relocated as the waters began to rise. Today, the Quabbin Reservoir is a vital resource, but beneath its waters lie the remnants of a town that once thrived, now preserved only in memories and historic records.

The same aerial view of the town of Enfield in 2021, now covered by the waters of the Quabbin Reservoir. (HistoricAerials.com)

Similarly, Newton Stewart, Indiana, was once a small, close-knit community located in the rolling hills of southern Indiana. In the 1960s, the construction of the Patoka Lake Reservoir by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required the relocation or demolition of the entire town to make way for the new water source.

Aerial view of the village of Newton Stewart, Indiana in 1951. (HistoricAerials.com)

Patoka Lake was created to provide flood control, water supply, and recreational opportunities, but it came at the cost of submerging Newton Stewart beneath its waters. Today, visitors to Patoka Lake enjoy its scenic beauty and outdoor activities, often unaware of the history that’s hidden just below the water’s surface.

Aerial view of the Newton Stewart boat ramp at Patoka Lake, where the village of Newton Stewart was located. (HistoricAerials.com)

These stories of submerged towns are not isolated incidents. Across the United States, countless other communities met the same fate—submerged under lakes like Lake Lanier in Georgia, created by the Buford Dam, or California’s Lake Shasta, formed by the Shasta Dam. Railroads, too, were affected, with entire tracks rerouted or left underwater as dams were built and reservoirs expanded.

Today, the legacy of these submerged places can be rediscovered on HistoricAerials.com, which let’s us see in detail what lies beneath these lakes and exactly where they were located. I recommend exploring these areas using the spotlight tool to compare the oldest to more recent aerial imagery.

Exploring the submerged village of Newton Stewart, Indiana using the spotlight tool on HistoricAerials.com.

For those who are curious about the hidden histories of their local landscapes, exploring these aerial images is like stepping back in time. It’s an opportunity to reimagine the lives of those who lived in these places, to understand the sacrifices made in the name of progress, and to connect with the forgotten stories beneath the lakes we see today.

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