History of District Heating in the United States

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District Heating in Lafayette, Indiana

William H. Schott installed a hot water heating system for the Merchant's Electric Light Association in Lafayette, Indiana in 1902.  This company was acquired by various other firms and became part of the Public Service Company of Indiana in 1941.

Schott's hot water system was based on a "balanced-column," but was basically similar to the earlier Yaryan system.

The hot water system was shut down on June 2, 1947.

Schott also installed hot water systems listed below and in addition built several steam systems.

References
1900 "Central Station Heating in Connection with Electric Lighting Plants," by W. H. Schott, Electricity 18:55 (January 31, 1900)

1900 "Central Station Heating in Connection with Electric-Lighting Plants," by W.H. Schott, Municipal Engineering 18(3):156-158 (March 1900)

1902 "William Henry Schott," The Successful American 5:156-157 (March 1902)
President of the Bloomington Gas, Electric and Heating Properties of Indiana
For the last two years Mr. Schott has made a specialty of designing and building heating plants, either as independent companies, or in connection with electrical railway or lighting properties.

1902 Ordinance Granting a Franchise to the Merchant's Electric Lighting Company to build a Hot water system.  April 25, 1902.

1902 "Merchants' Electric Light Association," Journal and Courier, May 12, 1902, Page 8.
In order to put in a hot water heating plant we intend increasing our stock to $150,000 and are to sell $60,000 new stock. The concern is a local one and we desire to sell the stock to the citizens of this city.

1902 Journal and Courier, July 22, 1902, Page 8.
W.H. Schott, of Chicago, expects to begin the work of installing the new hot water heating plant and feeding system this week.  The work may be begun to-morrow.

1903 "The Engineering of Heating Systems," Street Railway Journal, 22:389 (August 29, 1903)
William H. Schott, engineer, of Chicago, Illinois.  Among the towns where hot water heating plants have been installed according to this method are:  Lafayette, Elwood, Peru, & Connersville, Indiana; Galesburg and Mt. Vernon, Illinois; and Coshocton, Ohio. [Galesburg was actually a steam system.]

1904 "Central Station Heating," by W.H. Schott, Proceedings of Annual Convention, of the Northwestern Electrical Association 12:12-22 (January 1904)

1904 "Central-station Heating," by W.H. Schott, Western Electrician 34:114-115 (February 6, 1904)
Abstract of paper read before the Northwestern Electrical Association of Milwaukee, February 20, 1904.

1908 "Systems of Central Station Heating," by J.C. Hornung, The Metal Worker, Plumber and Steam Fitter 70(14):54-56 (October 3, 1908)
Holly System thirty years ago, Yaryan System, Schott Hot Water System

1908 "Some Facts and a Few Theories Concerning the Operation of a Central Station Hot Water Heating and Electrical Generating Plant," by J. D. Hoffman, Heating and Ventilating Magazine 5:1-6 (October 1908)
Merchants' Heating and Lighting Company

1909 Wall's History of Jefferson County, Illinois
Pages 217-218:  The Citizens Gas, Electric and Heating Company of Mount Vernon was organized April 26, 1902, and incorporated May 13th of the same year, with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars. The officers are W. H. Schott, president; Anthony C. Hunt, vice-president; H. R. Kingman, secretary and treasurer. This company succeeded the Mount Vernon Water Company and the Mount Vernon Electric Company, affecting a combination of both plants. When the plants were moved and rebuilt in 1903, gas works and a central heating plant were added. It has in operation three thousand five hundred miles of electric circuit, eighteen miles of water mains, ten miles of gas mains, ten miles of hot water heating mains. The capacity of the electric light plant is two hundred kilowatts, that of the water works four million gallons per day, with a reservoir capacity of three hundred and ninety million gallons. The capacity of the gas works is seventy-five thousand cubic feet of gas per day, and that of the heating plant seventy-five thousand square feet of radiation. The utilities furnished by this company are electric current for domestic, commercial and decorative lighting and power; gas for fuel, light and power; city water for domestic and manufacturing purposes and fire protection ; central station hot water heating for residences, churches, clubs, offices and stores. It furnishes to the city seventy-five electric street arc lights, burning all night and every night in the year, sixty-two fire hydrants, two public water fountains, free lights at city hall, public library and fire department, and city fire alarm system. All of the equipment is first class and the company is managed in a business like manner. With such public utilities as are furnished by .this company, the people of Mount Vernon enjoy every convenience that could be found in the largest cities.

1920 "Application for Authority to Discontinue Service to Certain Hot Water Heating Customers; granted." December 20, 1920
Southern Illinois Light & Power Company in Mt. Vernon

1928 "In Re Hot Water Heating Rates for the City of Mt. Vernon, Ill., November 21, 1928
Illinois Power and Light Corporation

1934 "Would drop heating system," Perry County Advocate, May 17, 1934, Page 3.
The Illinois Power & Light Co., today asked the Commerce Commission to permit it to discontinue its hot water system at Mt. Vernon. The case was set for hearing May 23.

1937 In the Matter of Granada Apartments, Inc. vs. Weightstill Woods, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (May 1937)
Page 250:  Testimony of William H. Schott
I took up in 1898 the question of specializing in heating. That developed the Schott System of heating. I had a hot water system and I had steam, both from pressure and from vacuum, and worked from several different points from that system. That system is still known as the Schott System all over the country. It is in use in Indianapolis. We have a plant down there with 30,000 H. P. in it.

1949 William Henry Schott (16 Sep 1867 - 21 Jan 1949) grave

1949 "Case Histories of District Steam Abandonments," Proceedings of the National District Heating Association 40:103-122 (May 1949)
Page 112:  Abandonment of Lafayette hot-water heating service on June 2, 1947..

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