The Lost Village of Delta

Images of America: New York

by Mary J. Centro

Home to a community of hardworking farmers and mill workers, the village of Delta stood along the banks of the Mohawk River until it was evacuated by the state to raise the water in the Erie Canal. Before the flooding of the river, Delta was a small country village with the same postmaster for over 30 years and families farming the same land for generations. In order to raise the water, the state approved the construction of five reservoirs across New York. The town was evacuated soon after, and the land that generations of residents toiled over now sits at the bottom of Lake Delta.

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2008

Reviews

[Steve Smits · Rating 3 out of 5]

The village was inundated to make way for the Delta Lake, a reservoir that supplies water to the New York State Barge Canal. The book shows well what life was like in a small country village along the Mohawk River in Oneida County, NY. Many of the village's structures were moved to higher ground, including a barn that is now located on my property in the adjoining village of Westernville.

[m. l. · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book provides narrative based on a series of photographs.

the information is overwritten in parts. there is a more effective way to group similar and repetitive details.

i also wish the book explored more. several passages state “it has been reported..” regarding items that could be confirmed in real time. i wish the author pursued those answers.

it would have been amazing to see the book structured in a more interesting way, such as expanding the map and creating a key of the pages to find the buildings. i also would love to see the map placed over a current NY map so we can get a better sense of the area delta covered.

i have so many questions. was all of delta flooded? some parts made it seem like it was not. is there a directory of buildings that were moved? did delta have street signs?

overall, it’s a nice tribute to those that lived in delta, but it had more potential. i thank the author for her efforts!