BREWSTER – Brewster High School senior Connor O’Reily has preserved the human effort, craftsmanship and ingenuity of 19th century engineers who reshaped the East Branch of the Croton River as it passes through Putnam County with his Eagle Scout project.
The aspiring civil engineer, who excels not only in the classroom but as a cross-country runner, has created an historical marker as well as digital and physical exhibits for the Southeast Museum.
Connor described his project as “interesting because the water which goes from Southeast to New York City is brought down by a gradual downward slope. There is no pumping until you get closer to the city and it is connected by a tunnel, which is not common in reservoir systems. What interested me most, though, were the personal stories of the laborers who worked to build the waterworks and how several Italian Americans were killed in the process. In one storm, a bolt of lightning took the lives of four laborers who had taken shelter in an “Italian shanty” near the Sodom Dam stone works. We all see the reservoir every day–it’s pretty ubiquitous–but I have never even thought about the people involved doing this project.”
The marker, which sits next to the reservoir at Old Milltown Road is one of a few in the area that explains the unique history while the digital and physical exhibit includes over 15 illustrations, many photographs, and maps of local reservoir history.
Connor has been a scout in Troop 228 for the past six years. During the past year, he has spent countless hours working on the project.
He thanked Putnam Historian Jennifer Cassidy for “helping me network with local government officials, providing research sources and presenting general ideas I took back to do my research. I also worked with Town Supervisor Nick Durante, the town’s Historical Sites Commission, the Italian American Social Club of Putnam County and town councilman Eric Cyprus. Troop members helped me get digital material together and assisted with fundraisers to purchase the marker, with a mix of outreach to donors and bake sales.”
Cassidy was impressed with the work put into the project. “Connor’s Eagle Scout project is one of the most ambitious I’ve seen during my time with the Historian’s Office. He demonstrated exceptional leadership, thoughtful scholarly research, and a true spirit of community collaboration to create something lasting for our local history. He is a source of real hometown pride.”
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