Vintage photos show the spectacular engineering feat that brought drinking water to New York City, 1906-1917 _ US

building new york water supply photographs

A fork in the Yonkers pressure tunnel. 1913.

building new york water supply photographs

The village of Shokan, which lies within the territory claimed for the west basin of the Ashokan Reservoir. 1906.

building new york water supply photographs

The town of West Hurley, which was included in the territory taken for the east basin of the Ashokan Reservoir. 1906.

building new york water supply photographs

The chosen site of the Olive Bridge Dam in Esopus Creek. 1906.

building new york water supply photographs

Piers are built in the bed of Esopus Creek to support pipes to carry the flow of water. 1907.

building new york water supply photographs

Esopus creek at the Olive Bridge dam site, showing coffer-dams and two lines of 8-foot steel pipes for carrying the flow of the creek. 1907.

building new york water supply photographs

Work in progress on the cut-off trench under the masonry portion of the Olive Bridge Dam. 1908.

building new york water supply photographs

The first concrete block is placed on the downstream face of the Olive Bridge dam. 1908.

building new york water supply photographs

The upstream stream face of the masonry portion of Olive Bridge dam with a temporary opening for the flow of Esopus creek. 1909.

building new york water supply photographs

Ashokan Reservoir workers in camp. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

The downstream face of the Olive Bridge Dam under construction. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

An earthen embankment is placed and compacted with a steamroller on the upstream face of the Olive Bridge Dam. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

The downstream face of the Olive Bridge dam. 1911.

building new york water supply photographs

The Ashokan Reservoir’s upper gate-chamber from the East Inlet channel, with aqueducts for drawing water from the reservoir.

building new york water supply photographs

Earth is dumped into the reservoir on the upstream face of the Olive Bridge Dam. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

The concrete core-wall of the Ashokan Reservoir’s middle dike. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

Earth is dumped to form an embankment against the west dike of the Ashokan Reservoir. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

The inlet and gate house between the two basins of the Ashokan Reservoir, with two arches of the Ashokan Bridge in progress. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

The Ashokan Reservoir’s waste weir and spillway. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

A train crosses the Glenford dike next to the east basin of the Ashokan Reservoir.

building new york water supply photographs

The Ashokan Reservoir’s waste weir and spillway leading to Esopus creek.

building new york water supply photographs

The excavation of the old Kensico Dam in preparation for the construction of a replacement.

building new york water supply photographs

The excavation for the foundation of the Kensico Dam in progress. 1912.

building new york water supply photographs

Travelling derricks place concrete blocks on the downstream face of the Kensico Dam. 1913.

building new york water supply photographs

Derricks maneuver concrete blocks into place on the Kensico Dam. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

Inside the completed Kensico screen chamber. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

The downstream face of the Kensico Dam. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

A decorative granite facade is applied to the downstream face of the Kensico Dam. 1915.

building new york water supply photographs

The east pylon of the Kensico Reservoir, with its fountain and cascade basin. 1917.

building new york water supply photographs

Concrete lining is applied to the bottom of the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers. 1914.

building new york water supply photographs

An aqueduct pipe under construction with a “cut-and-cover” method. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

A work crew on a stretch of “cut-and-cover” aqueduct.

building new york water supply photographs

The Kensico Bypass Aqueduct. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

The excavation of the Bonticou Tunnel in progress. 1911.

building new york water supply photographs

The Garrison Tunnel in the process of timbering and bench mucking. 1911.

building new york water supply photographs

Drills bore into the bed of the Hudson River at Storm King Mountain, where the Cats𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Aqueduct crosses from the west side of the river to the east, 1,100 feet underground. 1907.

building new york water supply photographs

The top of Shaft 7 of the Moodna pressure tunnel, with the Hudson River in the background. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

A surveyor takes cross-section measurements with a sunflower instrument in the City tunnel south of Shaft 16. 1913.

building new york water supply photographs

Inside the Rondout pressure tunnel. 1911.

building new york water supply photographs

A section of the Rondout pressure tunnel with finished concrete lining in place. 1910.

building new york water supply photographs

Pressure valves inside the Cats𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Aqueduct.

building new york water supply photographs

Inside a completed 16-foot, 7-inch-diameter section of the Yonkers pressure tunnel. 1917.

building new york water supply photographs

The Ashokan screen chamber aerates the daily flow of 376 million gallons of water. 1917.

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