The Salisbury Historical Society archives hold an album featuring newspaper articles about the original Army Corps of Engineers Blackwater Dam, constructed in 1941 in Webster, which had an impact on Salisbury.
The album mostly features newspaper articles about a highly controversial and massive project that sparked a heated conflict in the late 1960s and early 70’s. Although the dam had been built 25 years earlier, this project aimed to significantly expand its use. The battle pitted citizens against the Federal government, and in the end, the citizens prevailed! It’s a fascinating read, offering a glimpse into this intense struggle.
#1- Blackwater Dam Project, 1940-1941.
Restricting and Harnessing the Blackwater for Power, Flood Control, and Recreation.
Construction of the Blackwater Dam in Webster began in May 1940 and was finished in November 1941. The dam is 1,150 feet long and reaches a maximum height of 75 feet. It created a flood plain in Salisbury to manage excess water from spring floods and the weather. Homes were sold and dismantled, and two graveyards in Salisbury were relocated to a site near Maplewood Cemetery on Route 4. These are the Bean/Smith’s Corner Graveyard and the Stevens Graveyard. Today, there is little left of the Smith’s Corner community. Smith’s Corner
The original Blackwater project was a proposal that took over a decade to come together before 1941. News must have reached Salisbury, as the Union Meeting House was dismantled 12 years earlier and reassembled at Storrowton, Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, Massachusetts. An undated and unspecified newspaper article mentions the Union Meeting House as a landmark lost to the dam development.
A newspaper article, likely from the New Hampshire Morning Union before 1941, is titled “Contemplate Swelling Power of the Merrimack by Harnessing Blackwater.” It discusses plans to raise the dam for hydroelectric power.
Boston interests are considering building a dam and a powerhouse, with an estimated cost of over $2,000,000. If completed, this project would be one of the largest in New England, providing hundreds of thousands of much-needed horsepower currently going to waste in the region.
An article from the 1942 State Water Resource Board Survey suggests that power development would be an expensive undertaking. Another piece, titled “Blackwater Dam Best Fitted for Water Storage,” published in the New Hampshire Morning Union in December 1947, concludes through research that the dam should continue to serve as a flood control structure.
Thus, the dam stayed exactly as it was constructed. Fast forward to the 1960s.
#2- Blackwater Lake Project
A proposed 2,020-acre lake and recommended additional acquisitions bring the total park size to 15,000 acres.
The Salisbury Historical Society archives hold an album filled with letters to the editor from local citizens, each one intriguing in its own way. One of the most touching is a piece by Fred Richardson, shared through his sister Karen Richardson of Webster. Thankfully, Fred Richardson made it back home. This letter, dated June 26, 1967, comes from Vietnam and seems to have been published in the Concord Monitor. Titled “About Blackwater From Vietnam,” it features words from both Karen and Fred Richardson. Richardsons
Brief Description of the Controversial Project
The US Army Corps of Engineers proposed creating a 2,020-acre recreational lake at the base of Mount Kearsarge. According to a newspaper article in our archives (source unknown), the lake would rank as the tenth largest in the state and could become “one of New England’s favorite outdoor recreation attractions,” potentially drawing over 1 million visitors annually.
Tents and camping areas were designed with the idea that they would become some of the most popular destinations in New England. A newspaper article mentioned that both the State and Federal governments would manage 15,000 acres as part of this project. This includes 3,036 acres of Mt. Kearsarge Park, which was already under State control at the time, 2,500 acres in the foothills (part of Salisbury, according to a recent town map), and 9,500 acres encompassing the conservation pool. The 2,025-acre conservation pool, part of the expanded Federal Flood Control Area, would be transformed into a deep recreational lake.
Needless to say, this would have drastically changed our town by flooding areas, altering its character, dividing it, seizing land and homes likely at reduced prices, and bringing a sudden, overwhelming influx of visitors to a rural area.
Easy access from the newly constructed interstate will eventually be necessary for the many travelers, as all local roads are and have always been quite rural.
The proposed water resource acquisition area raises concerns when examining the maps. More research is necessary to understand the plans for those additional 7,500 acres. The removal of historic homes on Little Hill’s high ground, included in the water resource acquisition area, implies that this large area around the lake would remain uninhabited.
At one point, there was talk of creating a ski area on Mt. Kearsarge, likely on the mostly uninhabited southeastern slopes or foothills above the lake.
Diverting the Smith River into this area was also part of the discussion!