Documentary History of American Water-works

Alabama

Sheffield

Sheffield, Alabama

Sheffield was incorporated as a city in 1885.

The Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company was incorporated and built a water works system that began service in 1885 by pumping water from the Tennessee river into a reservoir.

The Sheffield Water Company was incorporated in 1889 and built a new standpipe water system. The standpipe collapsed on May 20, 1902.

The Sheffield Company was incorporated in New Jersey in 1903, acquired the Sheffield Water Company, and completely rebuilt the water system The Sheffield Company was acquired by Alabama Power in 1925, with the water system passing to a subsidiary, Consumers Water Company.

The Consumers Water Company sold its water systems to the Alabama Water Service Company in 1929.

The City of Sheffield bought the water system in 1936, shortly after it had established a municipal power system using power from the Tennessee Valley Authority's Muscle Shoals dam.

Water is supplied by the City of Sheffield.

References
1885 "Sheffield's New Start," The Montgomery Advertiser, June 20, 1885, Page 4.
The water works are completed, obtaining good water from the Tennessee river.

1885 "Sheffield's Boom," The Daily Dispatch (Montgomery, Alabama), December 20, 1885, Page 1.
Sheffield has a complete system of water works.

1888 "Sheffield," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1889 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama. June 1889

1889 "Sheffield," The Montgomery Advertiser, July 30, 1889, Page 4.
All arrangements complete for Water Works.
The Sheffield Water Company has been organized with $250,000 paid up capital cost. The company has issued $100,000 of bonds which have already been sold, subject to the endorsement of the Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company.

1890 "Sheffield," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Sheffield," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1895 "The Water We Use," The Montgomery Daily Advertiser, April 25, 1895, Page 7.

1897 "Sheffield," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1902 "Sheffield Dry," The Birmingham Times, May 23, 1902, Page 1. | Part 2 |
Sheffield, May 20. At 11:30 o'clock this morning the immense 90,000 gallons tank of the Sheffield water works feel to the ground and was completely demolished, together with all fixtures and connections thereto. This leaves the city in a water famine, it being the sole source of supply' The pumping station at the foot of the bluff on the Tennessee river escaped without damage of any kind, also all employees at the station. The tank has been leaking for some time and becoming gradually under

1903 "The Sheffield Company," The Florence Herald, April 19, 1903.
It will control and operate the Sheffield Water Company, now supplying water to Sheffield.

1924 "Sheffield Company is Sold to Alabama Power," Electrical World 84:1328 (December 20, 1924)
The water plant which supplies Sheffield and Tuscumbia.

1925 "Service Body to Begin Hearings," The Montgomery Advertiser, February 22, 1925, Page 22.
The Sheffield company, Consumers Water company; petition: In the matter of application for sale, purchase and conveyance of water works system, franchise, contracts, business, good will and other assets necessary to the operation of the system in Sheffield and Tuscumbia, Ala., and adjacent territory.

1929 "Notice of Application for Approval of Sale of Electric Systems by Alabama Water Service Company to Alabama Power Company and of Sale of Water Works Systems of Consumers Water Company to Alabama Water Service Company," The Fort Payne Journal, May 29, 1929, Page 4.
Water works systems serving Sheffield and Tuscumbia.

1936 "Sheffield Takes Over Water Works System," The Muscle Shoals Labor Advocate, June 19, 1936, Page 1
The City of Sheffield entered into the municipal waterworks business officially last Monday afternoon when details of taking over of the Alabama Water Service Company plant were completed by Mayor Hoyt Greer and other city officials.