Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
Northwestern
States |
Iowa | Marshalltown |
Marshalltown was chartered as a city in 1863.
The city explored installing a Holly water works system after a large fire, with some council members visiting the Holly water system in Peoria. City voters approved the Holly system in a September 1872 vote, but the council chose not to proceed with any system.
The city built water works that began operating in October 1876 but were not accepted until the following January. The system was designed by Thomas N. Boutelle. The Holly company sued the city for infringing their patents, which the city settled for $2,000 in 1879.
Water is provided by the city of Marshalltown.
References
1872 Council
Proceedings, May 7, 1872
Mr. Boardman presented the following petition with a few eloquent remarks
followed by Mr. Taylor, as follows:To the Hon. Common Council of the City
of Marshalltown:The undersigned petitioners respectfully represent that in
their opinion the time has come and your honorable body will be fully
justified by the citizens of this City in taking speedy and efficient
measures to protect the City from a repetition of the late destructive
conflagration; And to that end we recommend that the so called Holly
system be investigated, and if deemed practicable, be adopted and in the
same connection, we recommend that the Railroad Companies be immediately
consulted andwe obtain their cooperation so far as practicable.
Petition was signed by fifty citizens
Moved by Craigue that a committee consisting of Arnold, Rice and Bromley
be appointed to visit Peoria, Illinois to investigate the system of Holly
water works. Motion carried.
1872 Council
Proceedings, May 17, 1872
Councilman Arnold and Rice, the Committee appointed to investigate the
Holly Water Works reported favorably and represented that they could be
put in this City with three miles of piping for $50,000. The report was on
motion accepted and ordered placed on file
1872 Council
Proceedings, August 19, 1872
Resolved. That on the 3rd day of Sept. an election be called in this
City to vote upon the proposition of establishing a system of water works
substantially such as is known as the “Holly” system. Adopted.
1872 Council
Proceedings, September 9, 1872
The abstract of election of Sept. 3, 1872 was then read as follows:
For Holly Water Works 174
Against Holly Water Works 132
1872 Council
Proceedings, October 14, 1872
Resolved. That it is the sense of this Council that in the view of the
vote of the City recently taken, we ought to take immediate steps to
procure as speedily as possible, the Holly Water Works in this City.
Councilman Craigue moved to adopt the resolution and asked for the yeas
and nays which were as follows:
Yeas: Arnold, Bromley, and East.
Nays: Barrows, Craigue, Calhoun, and Williams. Motion declared
lost.
1876 "An Ordinance prohibiting the pollution of the Iowa river above the point where the city of Marshalltown draws water for its system of water works, and for the protection of said works, together with the machinery pipes, hydrants, and other apparatus connected therewith from injury and damages. September 4, 1876," Marshalltown Times, September 6, 1876, Page 4.
1877 First Annual Report of the Water Works Department of the City of Marshalltown, Iowa, January 1st, 1878.
1878 Second Annual Report of the Water Works Department of the City of Marshalltown, Iowa, January 1st, 1879.
1878 The
History of Marshall County, Iowa
Page 485: Water Works.
The city is supplied with water from the Iowa River, by a system of
Knowles pumps. The water works are located on the south bank of the
stream, near the Woodbury Mills. The mains are laid in all the principal
streets, and the power of the pumps is ample to furnish water for fire and
ordinary purposes.
A system of telegraph is maintained to warn the engineer of fires. The
entire service is satisfactory to the city.
The contract for works was made with Carpenter & Co., of Ottawa, for
the sum of $46,500. The entire cost exceeded this amount, and, including
extensions, is stated at $67,817. The city is now carrying some $60,000 of
bonds, issued for this improvement. These bonds represent the bonded debt
of the city, the financial condition of which is exceedingly satisfactory.
This enterprise is one of the most extensive ever attempted in the city,
and reflects great credit upon those who originated the plan and carried
it to a successful completion. No town of its size in the State is better
supplied with water than is this city.
Mr. Frank Killala has general supervision of the works and supply
department. William Fisher is Chief Engineer of the pumping house, and
William Brush is Second Engineer.
1879 Daily Nonpareil (Council Bluffs,
Iowa), April 6, 1879, Page 2.
Marshalltown has settled the suit against it for infringement of patent of
the Holly Water Company in its water supply, by paying $2,000.
1880 Fourth Annual Report of the Water Works Department of the City of Marshalltown, Iowa, January 1st, 1881.
1881 Marshalltown, from Engineering News 8:333 (August 20, 1881)
1882 Marshalltown from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1882 Sixth Annual Report of the Water Works Department of the City of Marshalltown, Iowa, January 1st, 1883.
1888 "Marshalltown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Marshalltown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Marshalltown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Marshalltown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1901 Evening
Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa) October 19, 1901, Page
8.
Article on water meters.
1935 A treatise dealing with the history and general development of the municipally owned water works of Marshalltown, Iowa, by H. V. Pederson
1990 Redefining "Public" Water Supplies, 1870-1890: a Study of Three Iowa Cities, Maureen Ogle, The Annals of Iowa, Volume 50 | Number 5 (Summer 1990) pps. 507-530. Iowa City, Marshalltown, and Boone.
2009 The
Biographical Dictionary of Iowa, by David Hudson, Marvin
Bergman and Loren Horton
Pages 159-160: Fisher, William (September 2, 1838–November 29, 1906)
Recognized for his engineering skill, Fisher supervised the successful
construction and operation of municipal waterworks in Clinton (1874),
Anamosa (1875), and Muscatine (1876). His reputation as a waterworks
designer and engineer led to employment by the Marshalltown City Council
in 1876 to supervise completion of that city's waterworks.
William and Martha Fisher and their two daughters, Lizzie Jane and Lillie
May (a third child, Jasper H., was born on September 6, 1878), moved to
Marshalltown in September 1876. William Fisher not only managed the
completion of the city's waterworks but also began employment as chief
engineer of the pumping house, earning $75 per month. Not long after
assuming his duties, Fisher was roused from his bed early one morning and
summoned to the waterworks. Local volunteer fire companies were battling a
blaze that threatened the entire city. Fisher took charge of
hand-throttling the steam engines and manually adjusting the steam valves.
He worked for 24 consecutive hours to maintain constant water pressure
through the mains, thus enabling the hose companies to extinguish the
fire.
© 2020 Morris A. Pierce