Tocks Island Dam

Living in Hillsborough, like living in most of New Jersey, has its fair share of minor annoyances and inconveniences - traffic, property taxes, noisy trains! - but for the most part we have it pretty good. And unlike some of our neighbors - the Solbergs of Branchburg and the Halpers of Piscataway to name two - we haven't been troubled by the 21st century's newest controversy: eminent domain. In fact I don't know if there has been a major case of land being seized "for the greater good" since the US Army built the Belle Mead Quartermaster Depot over 65 years ago.

Since this week's blog has been all about driving and freedom, and since it's time for the Saturday in the Park segment, I thought I would show you some pictures of our road trip yesterday to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The purpose of our trip was to visit Millbrook Village, a restored 19th century village complete with grist mill, church, school house, hotel, blacksmith, etc - all of the buildings old, and many original to the village.





Millbrook wasn't the only village located within the 70,000 acre park. Before 1960 there were several, some dating back to the 17th century - as well as 15,000 residents. But they are all gone now, and we did it - through eminent domain.

Around 1960 the Army Corps of Engineers devised a plan to control flooding, generate hydro-electric power, and create a 37 mile long recreational lake and reservoir, by building a dam north of the Delaware Water Gap at Tocks Island. Of course a lake that size would mean that entire farms and villages would be under water.

Despite opposition from residents, the federal government began buying homes and land, and condemning the property of those who would not sell. Between 3000 and 5000 homes were torn down. As the years passed, funding became scarce, and the engineers began to doubt the workability of the plan. While the project was in limbo, squatters moved in and destroyed the historic homes and structures that remained. The project was halted in 1978, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was created about a decade later.

The Tocks Island Dam project wasn't officially de-authorized until 2002, 42 years too late for Pahaquarry Township, whose dwindled population of 12 voted to dissolve the town in 1997 and merge with Hardwick Township. Now THAT'S a ballot question!