However with the demise of the Great Gorge Railway in 1938, the construction of a superhighway to Toronto, and excessive pollution strangling the river, the waterfront declined. The only activity was the piling of sand dredged from the river bottom. Beginning in 1978 the waterfront had a rebirth. The village trustees purchased the land and opened it up to fishing, and a launch was put into place. Through the efforts of many municipalities the river was cleaned to the point where it attracted fishermen from all over the northeastern United States. A constant query was what should bedone with the old coal silo that supplied the steamers with fuel. It had a moment of glory during the winter of 1955 when it held back the huge ice jam that threatened to destroy homes along the river bank. Suggestions ranged from tearing it down to putting in a bait shop, or turning it in to an observation platform.