O, blessed be the Croton! The article introduces a poem by Lydia Maria Child celebrating the Croton Aqueduct's opening in 1842. Child, described as "renowned in her day as a tireless crusader for truth and justice," wrote "The New-York Boy's Song" to honor how clean water transformed New York City. The poem expresses joy about the aqueduct's benefits across social classes. As Child wrote, the Cr…