Just a few hundred million years…
Geology
The uplands that comprise the Hoosic watershed are part of the Appalachians, a once-spectacular mountain chain that formed millions of years ago when continental plates collided. Among other things, this event (the Taconic Orogeny) caused offshore islands to be pushed west into what is now New England, which is why local mountains contain layers of rock formed under the ocean, such as quartzite, schist, and limestone.
The Green River is sometimes greenish because finely powdered rock left over from glacial rock grinding is still washing down from the hills.
The Hoosic cuts deeply through these old uplands, and it is one of the few rivers in this region that did not succumb to the north-south gouging of the glaciers 10,000 years ago. As the glacier melted, the Hoosic returned to its pre-glacial riverbed, to flow northwest and carry off water from glacial Lake Bascom. Traces of that lake are still visible as gravel and sand beaches, now 1,300 feet above the river valley in northwestern Massachusetts and southern Vermont.
Archeology
The river’s name is from the Algonquin language, and has been spelled various ways. Hoosic is the usual spelling for the river itself. It probably means “beyond place” and refers to Mahican hunting grounds “beyond the Hudson”. The valley and mountains to the east are spelled Hoosac. In New York state the word is Hoosick, as in Hoosick Falls. One chapter of Trout Unlimited uses an antique spelling, Hoosuck.
Many archaeological sites for the valley have been listed, dating to Colonial times and earlier. The segment between North Pownal and Hoosick Falls contains 10 known prehistoric sites. The Native American site at Schaghticoke is over 8,000 years old. River Bend Farm in Williamstown is said to have been an Amerindian camping place where travelers and hunters enjoyed the nearby mineral springs.
Read more about Hoosic Valley history in The Hoosac Valley, Its Legends and Its History, by Grace Greylock Niles, 1912.
Colonial Period
The Dutch had a trading post in what is now Albany in the early 17th century, and then moved eastward up the Hoosic from the Hudson. By 1745, the British were also coming into the area, from another direction. They laid claim to land east of the Hudson by building Fort Massachusetts beside the Hoosic in what is now North Adams. Meanwhile, the French were moving south from Canada. Thus, the Hoosic watershed became a battlefield for three European powers and their Native American allies. (James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans is a carefully researched but fanciful account of this period. You may also enjoy Mark Twain’s essay, “The Literary Offenses of Fenimore Cooper.”)
The Dutch negotiated instead of going to war. Though they did not persist here as a colonial power, they left their imprint in the form of many family names like van Rensselaer and place names like kill, meaning stream or river. The British and French continued to fight. The British finally drove the French north after skirmishes on lakes Champlain and George, and also at Fort Massachusetts.
By the 1760s, the entire area was under British control– just in time for the American Revolution! The Battle of Bennington (August 1777) was fought in the New York section of the watershed, when colonists drove back British and mercenary troops in their attempt to take an arsenal. It was a small battle, but an important one. It deprived the British force of supplies that they needed, and they soon surrendered at Saratoga, marking an important turning point in the war.
More about the Battle of Bennington
More about the Battle of Bennington
Teacher Resources About the Battle of Bennington
Industrial Period
One of many mills along the Hoosic. Note how close it is to the river.
After the American Revolution, more people moved into the Hoosic Valley. Some were farmers, but by the mid-1800′s there were mills and factories along the river, using the river as a source of water power and as a way to get rid of waste. Industry continued to build along the Hoosic throughout the 1800′s and much of the 1900′s. New England and New York became world leaders in manufacturing and technology.
In 1875, the Hoosac Tunnel was finally punched through the barrier of the Hoosac Plateau, at a cost of almost 200 workers’ lives. At 4.74 miles, it was the longest tunnel in the world at the time. This achievement reflects New England’s stature during that era as a world leader in technical and industrial innovation.
Western portal of Hoosac Tunnel, overlooking the Hoosic at Western Gateway Heritage State Park, North Adams. - Photo courtesy North Adams Public Library.
The tunnel opened the way for the Fitchburg Railroad to ascend the Hoosac Valley from Mechanicsville, NY, go straight through the mountains, and on to Boston. This railroad connection was extremely important for commerce and industry.
More about the Hoosac Tunnel at:
PBS
Berkshire Web
Mass Gov
North Adams, Holden St. bridge, flood 1937
During the industrial period, the people and the river were both destructive. Since industries and households used the river as an open sewer, the Hoosic became offensive and a source of disease. Local papers commented annually on people’s habit of dumping their garbage on the frozen river, where it stayed until the spring thaw swept it away. Even after water-powered mills were history, the river remained the site for industry– and dumping–because factories, highways and railroads all lined the river valley.
North Adams, Brooklyn St. flood 1938
Occasionally the river turned the tables, visiting towns with devastating floods. After heavy rain or snow, the narrow, steep sides of the upper valley acted as a funnel. Floodwaters rushed from the hills into the valley bottom and destroyed homes and businesses.
North Adams, River St. flood 1938
North Adams, near Eagle St. flood 1948
Concrete walls protect against floods but take away riverbanks.
In the 1940s and 1950s, flood control structures were built in Adams, North Adams, and elsewhere in the watershed. That put an end to the most destructive flooding. It also walled off sections of the river from many of the people who live next to it. At that time, people didn’t mind very much because the river was foul with pollution. Now the situation is different.
Today
The Hoosic and its humans are getting along a little better now. Like many rivers in the United States, the Hoosic is cleaner today than it has been since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Some old contaminants remain, and there are still sources of pollution, but overall, the dumping-ground habit has finally changed. This was largely because of state and Federal clean-water laws, including the Clean Water Act of 1972. Illegal dumping can result in heavy fines. These fines are sometimes used to benefit the river in some way, such as restoring river habitat. Industries and towns are now more careful about disposing of their waste. One of the biggest remaining causes of pollution is US! That is, ordinary people who are careless about what washes into the river from our yards, driveways, sidewalks, and streets.
Looking to the Future
Today’s valley is less developed than it used to be, in some ways. Industries have phased out and people have moved away. Dairy farmers, caught between loss of government price supports and increasing land values, cannot maintain their farms and are selling their herds. Fields have turned to forest, there is more wildlife, and wooded hills overlook the valley. There is talk of restoring river habitat along some of the flood control areas. Much of the river is clean enough for recreation and has a fine trout population. But this will not last unless we are careful. As the Hoosic recovers and becomes a beautiful part of the landscape again, more and more people want to build near it. We now see the dividing and selling of forests and fields for development into residences, second homes, tourist attractions, and new businesses.