The story of the building
of the Spier Falls Dam
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Why was the Hudson River, and its tributaries,
so important to early settlers?
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How did they use it?
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How has technology changed the way we use
the river?
“We were all astonished at the splendor of Glen’s Falls. The full,
though narrow Hudson, rushes along amidst enormous masses of
rock, and leaps sixty feet down the chasms and precipices that occur
in the passage….
The noise is so tremendous, that I cannot conceive how people
can fix their dwellings in the immediate neighborhood. There is a
long bridge over the roaring floods, which vibrates incessantly;
and clusters of saw-mills deform the scene. There is stone-cutting
as well as planking done at these mills…It was the busiest scene
that I saw near any waterpower in America.”
Harriet Martineau, 1836
an English traveler
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Settlers used the Hudson River and its tributaries to
power mills that sawed lumber and ground grain. Later,
industrialists dammed the river to ensure a steady water
supply – without the dams there were dry periods and
flooding periods.
Flood destroying Glens Falls Bridge
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The mills on the Hudson and its tributaries played a big role in the
industrial revolution of the 19th century.
They produced lumber, paper, grain, knitted goods and linens, nails,
horseshoes, and railroad spikes which were shipped through the
United States.
Troy Iron & Nail
This new cost effective
method of creating
electricity helped the
area’s economy.
Jointa Lime Company, Glens Falls
McMullen-Leavens Sewing Room,
Glens Falls (now Troy Shirt Factory)
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By 1880 there were
technologies to convert
mechanical power into
electricity and the motors
and lighting devices that
could use it.
Over the next decade,
people adapted
waterwheels and steam
engines to produce
electricity for local street
lamps, storefronts and
home lighting.
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In 1886 electric street cars were
introduced, creating need for more
electricity. The problem was that the
direct current used at that time did not
transmit over any great distance.
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ALTERNATING current, using generators and
transformers, was demonstrated by Westinghouse at the
1893 Chicago Exposition.
The GE Plant in Schenectady began to build electric
turbines to generate electricity and electric motors to
power factories, locomotives and other large machines.
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Glens Falls attorney Eugene
Ashley proposed a new
hydro- electric dam that
would harness the energy of
the Hudson River and
produce enough electricity
to light cities from Glens Falls
to Albany, and power the
region’s electric railway
lines and factories, including
the huge General Electric
plant in Schenectady.
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In 1899, the New York State legislature gave his company,
The Hudson River Water Power Company, the right to erect
the dam and to flood the valley behind it.
It took two years of negotiation and court action to gain title
to all the lands needed for the project.
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It took three years to construct the dam.
They had to build coffer dams to keep water out of the
construction site and re-route the river.
Spring flooding often destroyed some of the coffer dams
which had to be rebuilt.
To perform the manual labor of
cutting a 7 foot trench in the
bedrock, the company hired as
many as 1700 men, mostly 1st or
2nd generation Italian immigrants.
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In 1901 they encountered a football-field sized
depression extending below the riverbed which added
considerable time and money to the project.
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On August 20, 1903 the openings in the dam were closed, and
the pond behind the dam began to fill. Company executives
and their families came to watch, workers stopped what they
were doing, and there were steam whistles to celebrate the
occasion.
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Twenty hours later water began to flow over the dam, and on
September 8, Spier Falls began to produce electricity.
Work on the dam was not totally completed, however until 1906.
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At the time Spier Falls
started producing
electricity, the Company
had established a network
of generators, powerlines
and substations, and were
also planning to build new
hydro electric dams.
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By 1907, Ashley had borrowed and spent $11 million and had
stock outstanding of $16 million.
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The banker’s panic of 1908 interrupted his plans. Mr. Ashley
had too large a mortgage and creditors refused his
refinancing proposal, so he was forced out.
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After moving south to work on other power plants, he rebuilt
his fortune and returned to Glens Falls.
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He invested in the Adirondack Farms for Blooded Horses in
Glens Falls. Horses from this farm raced on the famous Oval
Track located in the present day section of Broadacres.
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Mr. Ashley died in February 1917 at the age of 54.
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Other power companies did build dams and created a
network that became the Adirondack Power & Light
Corporation in 1920 and the Niagara Hudson Power
Corporation in 1929.
Adirondack Power & Light Steam Plant, Amsterdam
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The building of the Conklingville Dam on the Sacandaga
River (near Hadley, New York) in 1930 completed the taming
of the river.
It collects the spring melt of a large portion of the
Adirondacks, prevents flooding downriver and provides a
steady supply of water to power plants and other industries.
The hydropower plant at Conklingville is now run by Erie Boulevard
Hydropower, L.P. and the Spier Falls Dam is owned by Brookfield Renewable
Energy Partners, L.P.
Over the years, technological advances
have made it necessary to modify the
dams and power plants.
Also, today’s hydroelectric power
companies have environmental
management systems in place to
lower the environmental impact
of their operations.
In addition to generating electricity and regulating the
waterflow, the reservoirs at Conklingville and Spier Falls are used
for boating and other water activities; it is important that
everyone understand and follow the posted safety regulations.
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The need for an efficient way to produce electricity
PLUS
Abundant natural resources
PLUS
One man’s vision and the financial and legislative
backing he received
PLUS
The work of hundreds of laborers
EQUALS
A good energy foundation for our area’s homes and
businesses that has served us for over 100 years.