Old Hampshire County Courthouse, ​99 Main Street, Northampton, Mass.

The coroner’s inquest into the cause of the Mill River flood deaths was a closely watched investigation into why the Williamsburg Reservoir dam failed. Over seven days, 42 witnesses testified about the dam’s design, construction, and oversight. Each witness was quick to blame someone else. Examining the coroner’s inquest gives us a window into the pervasive business mindset of the late 19th century. In this readers’ theatre presentation, twelve participants will take on the roles of individual characters in this dramatic moment of national importance. Elizabeth Sharpe, author of In the Shadow of the Dam: The Aftermath of the Mill River Flood of 1874, will narrate.