Reflections on Two Hamlets

Reflections on Two Hamlets. . , LOCAL RESIDENTS created their own entertainment: fiddlers called at square dances throughout the valley; men played in the Neversink Brass Band and on the local ball team, the Farmers A and C. Students went as far as the 8th grade in a two-room school at Neversink and a one-room schoolhouse in Bittersweet. A wide range of local businesses supported the farms and lodging places. You could buy groceries and dry goods at Ross Tompkin's Store or make a stop at Bill's Casino for ice cream, bowling or a haircut. The Methodist Church, first built in the 1840s, was a center for religious activities., THE RONDOUT AND NEVERSINK RESERVOIRS and the tunnel that connects them were constructed in the 1940s and '50s. The projects were suspended during much of World War II. The reservoirs finally became operational in 1950 and '54, respectively., Photo Captions , Neversink's Main Street - Manville Wakefield Collection , Schoolhouse at Neversink, 1924 - Town of Neversink Archives , Neversink Brass Band - Town of Neversink Archives , Aerial view of A. A. Smith Residence, in the Neversink valley, now covered by the reservoir - Frank Shannon Collection , During construction of the reservoirs and the Neversink Tunnel, the Grahamsville area boomed, with hundreds of workers living or doing business in the area. - Photo Courtesy New York City Department of Environmental Protection