Round Valley: The Town That Disappeared Overnight
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.พ. 2015
- What happens when the town you call home is destroyed by a state’s government? Do you try to fight it, or do you run?
In this emotional New Jersey documentary, a small town in Hunterdon County is wiped off the map forever by a man-made reservoir.
If you like this film, please be sure to like the TH-cam channel, and visit our website- www.media523.com for more great films.
Want to dig deeper into Round Valley's history? Here is the first installment from the filmmaker's Visions of Round Valley series: • Visions of Round Valle...
Directed by David Kuznicki / Produced by David Kuznicki and Eric Althoff for Media 523
www.Media523.com
This documentary hits close to home as my Great Great Uncle was John Goska on my mothers side of the family who was one of the last hold outs to keep his farm as it is talked about and with newspaper articles about him and his fight to save his home/farm.
I remember my mother and grandmother telling us kids about Uncle John's farm and how hard he worked to make it into something and to have the State of New Jersey take it from him.
When i was 13 years old i was on summer vacation at my grandparents house we went over to see Uncle John and his family, he had long since moved from New Jersey to Arkansas and had a farm there. I can still remember to this day nearly 52 years later my grandmother asking her uncle John ( My Great Great Uncle) about the farm in New Jersey, he just sat there and said nothing, i watched tears come from his eyes as he sat there.
Uncle John has been gone since 1993 and is at rest with his family and my grandparents in Arkansas and i still think of him and what he went thru.
I grew up in Somerville, NJ and visited Round Valley many times when i lived in NJ and i often
found myself staring out on the water and thinking about Uncle John and what he had lost.
That's very sad to hear. Thank you for sharing with everyone.
My thoughts are with you
So sad what progress does
Stop lying
@@damienwilliams7681
Why in the hell would i lie about something like this. FYI I have My Great Great Uncle's
Oringinal Deed to the property and the paperwork he received from the Sate of New Jersey when the took control of it. It was given to my Grand Mother ( My GGUs) Niece who passed it down to me as part of our family history. I can prove my family's history with Round Valley and you can NEVER Disprove it.
I had a wonderful Uncle John. I hope wherever your Unccle is, he has his property back and just the way he wanted it. That had to really be hard. Our farmers don't get the support the should have and credit. God bless them all ! ❤ 🙏
I never knew this and lived in NJ all my life. I went there a few times and just thought it was a natural lake. My heart goes out to all the families that lived there.
It puts the entire area into a whole new context.
HAve you gone to the ones where the native Americans usero live there? The empty cabins you can feel spirits and eyes looking at you. Never got in the lake tho
Same here. Lived in NJ my whole life and went to the reservoir several times with friends and even once on a school outing and no one ever shared the story of how it became a reservoir. I’m guessing teachers and the state weren’t to thrilled with the way it happened and didn’t want to boast to children of condemning peoples farms for water that wasn’t wanted due to corrupt politics. They aren’t gonna put that on a plaque outside the park!
My Grandfather lived here when he was young. I wish that I that remembered his stories more. So I pass them on to my grandkids.
I do go to this reservoir often and I am glad I came across this great documentary of Round Valley. Such a great historical insight.
The same thing happened in Wales after the village of Llanwddyn was moved out and the area filled with water and is known as Lake Vyrnwy. In the summer time you can see the remaining parts of houses foundations.
Well done. Thank you for bringing this story to life to those of us who would never have known.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
I grew up on the Stanton side of the valley. The view at 7:22 of the video is exactly the view from what became our front lawn. It is not in the valley. It shows the Prostak farm, still there today. My school bus went through the valley and I remember the platform of milk cans.
Paul Rigo's daughter was in my class at the Clinton Township School, and her older sister was in my sister's class. I remember her pride in telling me that her father was the boss of the project. I also remember seeing a house being moved across an open field, something I didn't think was possible. A number of our friends and new neighbors were from the valley and they carried that sadness.
A commenter below mentioned Haver's Lawn Mower Hospital. Boy, did that bring up a flash of the past!
Thanks for the response! Do you happen to have any pictures from your childhood that shows the area, by chance? We're always looking to collect and incorporate more material.
You're exactly right. Lots of sweat and tears from my family as well. My parents had just built their house and moved it up to Valley Crest Road.
I'm from NJ but don't recall ever hearing about this. Good information, and a sad story. I wish it had gone into why Newark backed out in a little more depth. And the narrator spoke too softly (or was recorded at too low of a volume) to understand everything said. But still, very enjoyable.
I swam in the Round Valley Reservoir recreation area as a child. I never knew this history. how very sad.
This was SO amazing to watch..I cried! So sad, we usually go here for hiking and swimming, its a beautiful place, never knew the history of this, so glad that they made a doc out of this, very inspiring..great history.
Thank you for bringing this story to us its really sad and I know how hard it was for those people who lived there all their lives it breaks my heart but I understand the it needed to be done. God bless all those people 🙏 that live there and the souls of who already die 🙏
I remember writing a school paper about the TVA in the 1960's and it still makes me so sad. That was when I first started wondering about how our gov treats people.
It wasn't a "pretty busy" part of New Jersey when I grew up there. It's a shame to see what the area (Hunterdon County altogether) has turned into with all the McMansions that have been built there over the past 20 years. And they're still building. It's freakin sad man. Even the general attitude of people that live there now is different.
I grew up there too. We probably know each other ! It sucks now , i moved out to a placs in Pennsylvania thats like lebanon used to be
@@walterdavis4808 If you lived in Lebanon then we might have crossed paths. I lived in Lebanon Boro and later High Bridge. I went to Voorhees for a short time, then a reform school that I lived at the rest of the time because I got in trouble lol
@@MyNextShotWontMiss yea tim cokesbury road. Went to north, and vorhees . What year did you graduate
@@walterdavis4808 Yep, I know Cokesbury Road. I graduated from Voorhees but have friends who went to North. This would have been in the '90s though. 1994
@@MyNextShotWontMiss do you remember the hinchman farm on cokebury high bridge road with the black cows that were always in the road ?
Thanks for posting this. My great grandfather was born there in 1876.
Glad you enjoyed it
I used to go to one of the farms that are now under water. Great Memories of my childhood. Swimming in one of the small rivers that ran thru the farm land. I was sad to see it gone
I’m sorry
That's so sad to hear :(
tear jerker, for sure. bless them.
I never knew Round Valley had this history to it. I used to live in Kingwood in the early 80s and worked at the A&P in Clinton!, visiting Round Valley and Spruce Run many times in the summer during that time. Last time I was back there, it was mid 90s and the feeling there wasn't the same.
During my childhood years (1971-1986) I lived in Stanton, NJ. Our house was 3 miles south of Round Valley Reservoir. My family swam at the beach area at Round Valley's west shore, stayed at the campground at the east shore, and went to the retreat center on the south side. In the 1970's we went sledding on the steep dam embankments on the north side, but that was later outlawed. As a child I was fearful that the dams would break. We were told the flood waters would reach Flemington, 9 miles south, and our house in the valley between Stanton Mountain and Round Mountain would be destroyed. I didn't enjoy swimming in the reservoir because of rumors about mysterious disappearances, drownings, and the village that was flooded. We did our boating at Spruce Run rather than Round Valley because it was shallower and had more shoreline. Round Valley is a beautiful spot during the changing seasons of Central New Jersey, but it definitely had a creepy reputation.
there is absolutely no houses in the reservoir !!! I used to ride thru the middle after all the houses were moved out and they brought in the tanks and military equipment to level out and clear out the bottom. It is a beautiful place to visit, and sad that they chased all those people out of their homes. But most of the houses were moved out and put up on the hill nearby.
that's funny cus few weeks back the reservoir was at a low and people said you can see the tops of buildings in it, so you're full of shi#
@@kardsufur2966 The people who said they saw the tops of buildings are the ones who are full of it. Most of the buildings were hauled out and can be see on . The rest dismantled by the national guard and the debris was removed. You can see the houses on nearby Valley Crest Rd.
My family had to move our home in 1990 as my father was dying from heart failure. It did devastate us. He died in January, only six months after we built a road and got moved. The place was never the same. Even though it was the same house it wasn't the same home. It is now abandoned and rotting away.
Thanks for sharing your story. Do you happen to have any pictures or anything from the time period?
Wow, which house. My family moved their house as well. That's my Mom in the beginning talking and pictures of my Dad and brother all in this movie. I wasn't born yet. Always a very sad part of my family's life.
A+
Thank You All for producing this !
Well Done !
It's unbelievable and sad. Round valley reservoir was the very first body of water I visited when I moved to New Jersey. I've always felt this energetic connection to the place. I feel like there should have been a lot of missing appraisers since they had all that farmland. I couldn't just give up my land like that 😭 I don't care what you write on a piece of paper you're going to have to rip it out of my hands. 💯
Same thing happened in Massachusetts in the thirties and forties great documentary there was four times about 17 miles across kicked everybody out filled it up and now they call it the Quabbin Reservoir does really some good documentaries on that one too
The same happened with Spruce Run Reservior where my Grandparents family lived only a few miles away.
We've discussed the possibility of producing a similar show about Spruce Run.
@@Media523 Hope you do someday!
Round Valley is my backyard! I am glad that this documentary was made. Always heard stories that people were drowned to death there but now I know to truth
+Chris Talocka - It is such an amazing place. I wish It was my backyard. I love this park.
I grew up NJ and visited Round Valley, it was beautiful but spooky at the same time..
WOW! This is an incredible documentary about Round Valley. What a great local history lesson for sure, albeit a bit sad.
I think it is incredibly well done!
A friend was told a highway was going through her home..all houses were to be bought ..no choice...10 years later no highway and they were offered their house back..ruined as it had been left empty then rented..but to put salt in their wounds..for the price the Govt brought it for 10 years prior.
Where did this happen?
@@Media523 Auckland NZ
I see New Jersey’s planning hasn’t changed. So nice to do this to the people then think about how to get it to Newark that’s such backward thinking guy deserved jail time
I've lived here in the area for more than 60 years. Sad story. Wish I had been old enough to visit the valley before the reservoir. Great documentary.
This is eerily similar, if not the exact same thing that happened to the sleepy valley village of Scammonden, West Yorkshire, UK. A decision was made to level much of the houses and flood the valley, to turn it into a reservoir.
Villager's complained but lost the battle with the council. The village of Scammonden became Scammonden Reservoir. And on rare occasion when water levels are really low, there can be traces of the old demolished building walls seen emerging from the water
Although tragic as it was to the residents of round valley they weren’t forced out with violence and fire as the was the case of lake Lanier and lake Martin where former slaves developed an entire community.
this documentary is so sad. Born and raised in NJ .
What part of New Jersey? The filmmakers grew up in Whitehouse Station, near Flemington.
Its gorgeous and beautiful. I miss up north terribly. It makes me angry. Being surrounded by woods and nature is relaxing and calming and soothing. It's a lifestyle that you miss and is different. People call it "trailer trash" etc .. I call it something different.
Nicely produced doc on the history of Round Valley - well researched, written, and edited! Well worth a look.
Really great documentary!
Much appreciated!
Beautiful town gone....
The same thing happened to a bunch of towns when they built the St Lawrence Seaway in the late 50s
Very well done, albeit sad. I feel a sadness for those forced to sell and move away from everything they knew and loved. 🙏😥💔
This kind of story is all too common, unfortunately, especially in the NJ/PA area.
@@Media523 thank you for letting me know. I live in the South, where TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) did something very similar, although I'm really not aware that it was to this degree. Makes one wonder exactly if "progress" was worth the cost.
We are born primal... conceived with the impulse to fight for what we desire... it's written in our genes, it's engraved in our souls... but we traded the wilderness for pavement, trees for skyscrapers, we lost touch with our instincts with what we are... we have fallen from nature's grace
Arable land is absolutely necessary. We need to preserve farmland. Decades ago, the German government made expansion onto the countryside illegal. Only pre-existing working farms are allowed. "Developers" are mobbed up Mafia scum, viz this documentary . In the U.S., it was only after the riots in the 60s that caused "white flight". Drive through Patterson and see bars on people's windows and high chainlink fense topped with wire.
Eminent domain is an awful thing. I've witnessed first hand farmland condemned to make way for a "super" Wal-Mart. It put all of the mom&pops in the *village* out of business. And, of course, no more farm, the dairy gone and all. What exactly IS progress?
All except for the Sasquatchs
This is beautiful and well said.
Well done documentry
Thank you very much. We appreciate it!
I can't imagine. I've about lost my mind fighting my small village government on land issues that only benefit one landowner. We don't stand a chance against the village or the county gvt on protecting us.
If you can afford to fight a crusade then why not. If you can't afford to fight a crusade then why would you. Unless your stupid or your led by your ego. Either way your destiny is to be destroyed. Good luck as you go under for the last time.
Iola, Colorado is under the Blue Mesa resivoir. A boat ramp is named after it. I suppose every reservoir has a ghost.
Unfortunately, that is correct in far too many cases.
Gosh that heart crushing, iam so sorry.
Thank for such excellent presentation or documentary! You got a new sub 😃
They did the same thing to the people of Eddyville and Kuttawa, Kentucky in order for TVA to come in and make Barkley Lake and LBL. It did become a booming tourist attraction that raked in big bucks for many years but that's all been on a steady decline for probably the last two decades. Nowadays they do well to draw crowds for memorial day weekend, July 4th and labor day and nowhere near what it used to be during summer months; winter time the place is a veritable ghost land and businesses struggle to stay open. Many don't, most never survive a single winter and never re-open again.
We are from the Government, we are here to help you.
My father lives near this place we would usually go hiking there and there is still remnants of of thing such as stone walls, pipes and what looks like a corner of an iron wheel borrow in one the foot paths.
Just as Lake Berryessa in Napa County, California. Some of the town in still under the lake.
The last time I was at Round Valley the water level was about 361 feet above sea level and it was looking quite low. I think the system they have of releasing water into the South Branch for water companies to draw from downstream is very wasteful. They have to keep the river level high enough to draw from and a lot of the water just flows out to sea. I feel real bad for the residents of Round Valley who had their homes and farms taken from them. This was a very good video. I always wondered what that clearing up the hill on the west side near the campers parking lot area was. I thought it was an old road. It was where they hauled the houses out. So sad...
Everybody looks so happy. Thank u 4 posting😘
I ❤ Documentaries !!!
This is sad thats what happens when the government gets envolved
WOW !
I (started) to grow up in Hunterdon County (Annandale)
My Mom (Jeannette Bonnell - Norton - Gill - Lance) married Wesley L. Lance ~ 1971
Round Valley Reservoir is all I remember - The Town was gone.
I remember Wes telling me; Jim Gill, The Earth-Fill Dam off of Molasses Hill Road, at Round Valley Reservoir, was built on Limestone.
It could Fail.
I said to Wes; Okay then. I won't go in the caves across the road from the Dam.
About 13 years ago I purchased a collection of glass plate negatives. The PHOTOGRAPHER was Willis W. Vail of Quakertown, NJ
"Willis was A Quaker Man from a Quakertown"
Anyway, one of negatives, is a View across Round Valley - It's Really Beautiful.
I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico now. Hunterdon County was a Really Beautiful Place, until Route 78 got plowed through the middle of it.
The Property Taxes are Astronomical !
The Traffic is Really Bad.
I Ain't gonna split firewood on Kruger's Farm No More - No more Ice Skating on Headley's Pond - No more climbing in the waterwheel at the Red Mill at Clinton : (
Change is inevitable - Just the way it is.
- Jimmy Gill -
So disturbing, I am so sorry to all that are hurting.
They could have explained a little bit more about the mafia connection. How could the demand for the water turn away so fast? Where are the pipes going, are there pipes at all? The mafia should be killed off. Guess this criminal got a pension no matter what. Thank you Italy.
They never built a pipeline to the cities in the east. They release water from a pipeline at the north dam it goes along Railroad Avenue east and discharges into the South Branch Rockaway Creek >>> Rockaway Creek >>> Lamington River >>> North Branch Raritan River >>> Raritan River . Water companies draw water from the Raritan River. The residents of Round Valley were royally screwed and the project was never completed as it was supposed to be (pipeline to Newark & Elizabeth)
That's sad how government takes land just like that similar story is the chaves ravine was over taken to build the LA Dodgers stadium.
They did the same in Massachusetts! Quabin
Sad we never own anything.
I understand the need for the water but it's still sad that they had to from theirs home lands
This is an excellent documentary. Those who made it deserve some serious kudos.
I do have a question though. The lady who lived there said that the engineers pumped water into the res. using massive water pumps. What where they tapping into to fill it? It was obviously years after the two droughts, so I'd assume there was plenty of water around, but even then 55 billion gallons of water had to be found somewhere. Where did they find it?
Also why did the various cities who contracted out for it, pull the contract? Was it all some sort of grifting scam by the mayor of Newark?
They pump water into Round Valley from the South Branch of the Raritan River (west of the reservoir) there's about 10 pumps that move the water uphill to the south tower (south dam)
Here's the thing, though, today, like the beautiful wooded area that was once Whitehouse Lake, which most people alive today who live there wouldn't even know of, (You could call it Whitehouse Air Conditioning Sump because that's what it is, now, literally, thanks to greedy developers who destroyed that land) Round Valley today would not be a serene peaceful farming community. It would be some nightmare of a crowded condo community wherein the view out your window is the wall of your neighbor's condo developed by some outsider just like the rest of NJ. People today prefer to live in crowded holes. Pathetic.
Yup, one of the only reasonable comments I’ve read.
I can’t believe there’s ghosts and aliens living in my state. We might as well drain the lake and get the people back to their homies
That's the government for ya!
They're making "everything better for everyone ".
B.S.
They're making things easier for themselves, they're not worried about the common person or the history.
They displaced about 50 homes to provide water to 1.5 million people and countless farms and businesses, supporting a large portion of people who make up the metropolitan area economy that is the backbone of the US. Of course a few people tried to exploit it for their own gain, and yeah, it definitely sucks for the people who lived there, but the net positive still far outweighs the negatives.
Man that sucks I live in warren county right next to hunterdon county I’m a good 15 mins from this
Carter and Reagan almost did this to my town. Also named Round Valley, but it's in Northern California.
Had a nightmare dream one night similar to this!! Vehicle came back down and got stuck going up!!
It's taking me longer than I expected here in this town. What keeps me going too is my 2 DirecTV satellites
i feel bad for the woman who loved it there but 26 people cant deny the state water they desperately need ....sad but progress
We have done that same thing loooong time ago like 80yrs in Germany, go with the flow, you can not never ever beat the Government anyway. So fight and get max pay-out and shut up, because you can not win.
Galing
I never quite understood the need for water on coastal states, the investment of desaltinized sea water facilities as opposed to the millions of buying out homes and lands?
Girl it wasn't 'sold' it was TAKEN
I found it ironic that the lady who said that was so embittered by the NJ government taking their homes and land, but she displayed this disturbing lack of empathy for the native people.
@@thebandit666 agreed. Just like the ppl that had no choice but to sell after they did they exact same thing to the indigenous tribe they ousted in the same manner
Lol.. yup!
That’s not what the contracts say. You should’ve stayed in school and actually gotten an education.
Exactly. Absolutely disgusting. Like they just willingly sold their land. More like give me your land or die.
May not be worth the comment, but the NJ national Guard had a weekend training while I was a member. It would have been before "68. I had no idea where we were. In later years I realized that we were where the water would be. The damn was built, but no water pumped in.
Reminds me of that episode of "Scooby-Doo" with the submerged town.
I wish I had the chance and opportunity to go on vacation etc and go sightseeing and experience different countries etc. I will never get that chance unfortunately.
If you are watching this, please consider making a donation to help the filmmakers at www.RoundValleyMovie.com
No. Doesnt affect me.. they are better off now anyway.. We should be asking them for money. PEACE.
Im from New Brunswick nj and I always go there and last year i came across this and remembered about it when i went there this summer , its too relaxing
Weren’t the Lenape of Manhattan Island note.
How sad
Just sucks. I went fishing there and took a canoe out. I look into the water and saw the tops of trees and was like WTF. Rangers told us there is probably some building down there. So sad
1-04-2023.. I read the small book that was published then sold out of the Library in White House Sta. an number of years ago. today was told of this film. More info needs to be told of the political and criminal actions of this story. The lack of any political clout in this area was the major down fall. will have to watch the above mentioned series ( I may have spoken too early).
No I don’t think all we do is for the greater good. We don’t always pick the best spots. We don’t always think things through. We say that to salve our conscience. Then we stop and think hmmm maybe we should have done something else but it’s too late. Yes. We need to prepare for droughts but it would be nice to plan and develop without payoffs
So this is the lake Lanier of New Jersey?
HAVE YOU RECORDED ASHLEY KANSAS
We haven't. What happened there?
Very sad that people were disbanded & relocated, but my heart is torn more by poor refugees after WWII that would have given anything to (after generation after generation of farming) move up a hill close by!
A 😢 story
Sounds like they had a happy existence, despite weather problems(for the crops)l
This makes me sick to my stomach to know if the government wants your home they will take it! You begin to question are we really a free country.
"the town that disappeared overnight"
*Yup , that town called EVERLOCK*
Anyone being forced out due to Eminent Domain should be paid 5x the assessed value of their property. This country pisses away so much money to other countries, the least they can do is minimize the effect of being thrown out of your home./property. Several times more than the assessed value would permit those to upgrade their property or house size and continue their lives not as a victim but as being rewarded for their sacrifice.
Elbowoods, ND
❤ 🙏
Que ironía a los habitantes del Round Valley le hicieron lo mismo que a los Lenape
It's a sad story..... but at least something of beauty came out of it....
Many places in the world are like that, unfortunately.
I grew up in a beautiful valley. Oh how i miss it. Then one night in heavy rain.. It was gone. A dam or something gave way up stream. I remember only being able to see the peak of my uncles bar sticking out of tge water. The government made every one clean as much mud and utems out of their homes. Then knocked every house down. Dug holes. Lite the rumble on fire then pushed the dirt back over the houses. I still sit and cry to this day. I took still pictures and filmed some of the stuff that went on durning that time. Yet can bring my self to look ir watch any of it again. God bless anyone that has lost their homes to fire, flood, tornados, hurricanes of other ways. Just remember. Everthing happens for a reason. You will always have the memories, happy or sad. Try to go with the happy ones.
Has any one seen the house under the water
It's not the same as the city; not even close and personally I'm much happier!!
Sell me your land at 50% off or get kicked out by force or worst!..."sure we sell thank you sir"..
Pretty much 💯
Anybody read H.P. Lovecraft's, The Color Out of Space? This is exactly it.