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Indiana | Connersville |
Connersville was incorporated as a city in 1869.
The city built a Holly water system that used power from a local hydraulic canal to pump water directly into the system mains. It was demonstrated on April 7, 1870, but the water was not suitable for drinking until a new plant was built in 1911 that took water from wells.
The original system had two Holly rotary pumps, and additional steam- and water-driven pumps added that were built by Holly and the local firm P.H. & E.M. Roots Company.
Water is supplied by the city of Connersville.
References
1869 "Water Works," Connersville Examiner,
February 10, 1869, Page 3.
1869 "Water Works," Connersville Examiner, February 17, 1869, Page 3.
1870 Connersville Times, March 30, 1870, Page 3.
1870 Connersville
Times, April 6, 1870, Page 3.
The partial trial of the Water Works on Wednesday last, ought to satisfy
the most skeptical of their efficiency. With only one wheel and pump
working, one stream was thrown more than one hundred feet high, and three
streams nearly one hundred feet high.
The test has proved the principle, and all that is required, is a little
more power, to fulfill the conditions of the contract, give all of the
requisite facilities for subduing the angry ravages of fire, and the
conveniences of the city for domestic urposes, sprinkling streets,
irrigating lawns, and the beauty and attractiveness that living fountains
impart to pleasant homes.
1870 "The Water Works," Connersville Times, April 13, 1870, Page 3.
1870 "The Fire," Connersville Times, June 15, 1870, Page 3.
1882 Connersville, from Engineering News 9:173 (May 27, 1882)
1882 Connersville, from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1885 "Trial
of the water works," Connersville Times, September 23, 1885,
Page 6.
Test of new Roots steam pump.
1885 History
of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships,
Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of
Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc.
Page 147: In September, 1869, the Council of Connersville contracted
with the Holly Manufacturing Company of Lockport, N. Y., for the erection
of water works for the city, which was intended to furnish a more
efficient and reliable fire protection, rather than with a view of a
revenue therefrom for water supplied for domestic purposes. The works were
completed in January, 1870, at a cost of $47,000, and are situated about
one mile from the center of the city, built on ground bought of Wanee and
Martin for $500.
The machinery of the Water Works is propelled by water power from the
Connersville Hydraulic (formerly Whitewater Valley) Canal. The power is so
regulated that a pressure of from twenty to twentyfive pounds is always
kept upon the mains, which is sufficient for all purposes except in case
of fire; and in case of an alarm of fire the power is immediately
increased to give a pressure of from seventy-five to one hundred pounds.
The works have remained the property of the city, and the annual cost of
running them is $750.
1888 Connersville
Times, August 8, 1888, Page 2.
Last Saturday afternoon, a test was made of the Roots pump, in connection
with the City Water Works. A pressure of eighty pounds to the square inch
was placed on the mains, and three, one inch streams, were thrown at the
same time, several feet higher than any house in the city. This is proof
that the Roots pump, recently purchased by the, city, to he used in an
emergency, if the regular pumps at the water works should fail, is equal
to the task of forcing a sufficient flow of water through the mains, and
with sufficient force, to suppress any fire we are in danger of. The test
was witnessed by several hundred citizens, who are generally satisfied and
pleased with the result.
1888 "Connersville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Connersville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Connersville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Connersville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1906 Twenty-Fifth
Annual Report of the Indiana State Board of Health
Page 175: Connorsville. In 1869 the city of Connersville had a
public water system built by the Holly Water Works Co., of Massachusetts.
This water comes through a hydraulic canal which is fed by the west fork
of Whitewater river and is pumped from the canal into the city mains. The
watershed consists of 250,000 acres, partly wooded, partly cleared and
having about 6,000 inhabitants thereon. The flow of the stream is about
5,000,000 gallons daily. The water at times develops an odor of decaying
mosses and grasses and is soft. Fifteen to eighteen miles of distributing
mains are in use. These are of iron, with lead and iron service pipes. The
supply is ample for fire purposes, but is not good for drinking purposes,
and nearly all the people use well water for domestic supply. About
1,000,000 gallons per day of the city water is used.
1908 "More
Important than the campaign," The Indianapolis News,
September 21, 1908, Page 11.
City water works and hydraulic company dispute
1911 "Water
Company Sues City," Municipal Journal and Engineer 30(2):58
(January 11, 1911)
Connersville, Ind.—The Connersville Hydraulic Company has brought suit in
the Circuit Court to enjoin the City of Connersville from tearing down and
removing the engines, boilers and pumps of the city water works, located
on the hydraulic company's ground, to the city's new plant. The city
formerly received its water supply through the canal maintained by the
hydraulic company, and erected a pumping station on the company's ground,
the lease for which expired about 18 months ago. The hydraulic company
alleges that by the terms of its lease to the city, after the expiration
of the time it was to run, the buildings and pumping machinery, if not
removed before, become the absolute property of the company. The president
of this company is E. Dwight Johnston. Finly H. Gray. Mayor; the members
of the Council, the contractors and T. H. Stoops, of this city, are
defendants.
1911 "Solve
Problem by Compromise," The Daily Republican (Rushville,
Indiana) February 9, 1911, Page 8.
Connersville Water Works Controversy of Several Years' Duration is Finally
Settled.
1911 The
Lake County Times (Hammond, Indiana), June 2, 1911, Page 10.
Connersville - The new city water works is now complete. The old
establishment has been dismantled and most of its machinery is now
installed in the new plant. The city will use water from wells
exclusively.
1916 "One Hundred Years
Progress in Water Supply in Indiana," by W. G. Ulrich, Proceedings of
the Annual Meeting of the the Indiana Sanitary and Water Supply
Association 9:149-158 (February, 1916) | also here
|
Page 153: Connersville lays claim to the fourth water plant in
Indiana, constructed for the city in 1869, by the Holly Manufacturing
Company of Lockport, New York. The Holly system of water works was
entirely new at that time and it gave great impetus to the building of
water works over the entire country. The Holly people very cleverly
advocated their system making especial emphasis that it would dispense
with the construction of expensive and very unsanitary reservoirs.
The committee appointed to investigate the advisability of the
installation of this system had this report to make, "The old fashioned
reservoir for the accumulation of enormous quantities of stagnant water,
as well as the growth and encouragement of green slime, frogs, tadpoles,
water lizards, frog-spew, juvenile snapping turtle, crawfish, decomposing
cats and puppies, defunct insects, snakes, eels, catafish are things of
the past. Modern science has devised very admirable methods for
supplying the very largest cities with pure living water," etc.
1917 History
of Fayette County, Indiana Her People, Industries and Institutions,
by Frederick Irving Barrows
Pages 536-537: Waterworks Erected.
The council of Connersville, in September, 1869, entered into a contract
with the Holly Manufacturing Company, of Lockport, New York, for the
erection of a waterworks for the city, which was intended to furnish a
more efficient and reliable fire protection, rather than with a view to
revenue therefrom for water supplied for domestic purposes. The waterworks
plant was completed in January, 187o, at a cost of forty seven thousand
dollars. The plant was situated about one mile from the center of the
city, built on ground bought from Wanee & Martin for five hundred
dollars.
The machinery of the waterworks was propelled by power from the
Connersville hydraulic ( formerly White Water) canal. The power was so
regulated that a pressure of from forty to sixty pounds was always kept up
in the mains, which was sufficient for all purposes except in case of
fire; and in case of an alarm of fire the power was immediately increased
to give a pressure of seventy five to one hundred pounds. The mains were
the property of the city; the pumping station being on leased grounds. The
annual cost of operating the plant ranged from three to five thousand
dollars a year, with a gross return of from two or three times this
amount. The plant which was established in 1870 was in operation for forty
years and was enlarged from year to year to meet the growing needs of the
city. For several years the city paid the Hydraulic Company one thousand
eight hundred dollars a year for the water which it furnished, the water
for both public and private consumption being taken from the canal.
For some years prior to 1910 there was continual agitation on the part of
some of the citizens for a purer water supply. When the canal was cleaned
out there were occasionally found dead animals in it, particularly about
election times, and these occurrences were sufficient to arouse the public
to the need of providing water from another source. In 1910 affairs came
to a climax on the waterworks situation: the desire of the hydraulic
company for more rent was the last straw on the camel's back. The result
of years of agitation and discussion was a decision on the part of the
city to build a new plant. This was done in the year 1910, the new plant
being in the, eastern part of town at Eighth and Fayette streets.
It would be a long story to tell of the building of the new plant, but it
is sufficient to state that it was finally erected, although its cost
considerably exceeded the original estimate of thirty thousand dollars.
This amount was found insufficient to complete the plant and by the time
the plant was complete the city had expended about ninety thousand
dollars. In 1914 the city expended ten thousand dollars on improvements.
The water is derived from wells sunk in the immediate vicinity of the
plant and thus the city always has the assurance of a plentiful supply of
clear water.
At the close of the fiscal year 1916 the plant was found to be self
sustaining, that is, if the interest on investment and the amount of
depreciation are not taken into consideration. Operations for the year
showed that there was a surplus of eight hundred dollars over and above
bare operating expenses. Since this is a municipally owned utility it is
operated with a view to service and not for profit. The plant is in charge
of James O. Massey, as superintendent. He has a force of eight men under
his charge. The clerk of the waterworks department is W. F. Michael.
The charge for domestic water service is a flat rate per opening,
averaging eleven dollars and fifty cents per annum. For manufacturing
purposes the rate by meter is as follows:
Per 100 feet Minimum charge
Under 1,000 cubic
feet $0.12
$0.50
1,000 to 3,000 cubic
feet
.09
1.20
3,000 to 6,000 cubic
feet
.07
2.70
6,000 to 200,000 cubic feet
.04½
4.20
Over 200,000 cubic
feet
.03¾
90.00
In 1917 there were nineteen miles of water mains within the city limits.
2018 "Early
water works primitive to today's standards," Connersville News
Examiner, December 7, 2018.
© 2019 Morris A. Pierce