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| Northwestern
States |
Kansas | Leavenworth |
Leavenworth was incorporated as a city in 1855. The city was built adjacent to Fort Leavenworth, which was established in 1827.
The Leavenworth City Water-Works Company was incorporated in 1858 by S. N. Latta, J. Williams, Cyrus F. Currier, John C. Douglas, D. D. Cook, A. W. McCauslin, J. B. Irwin, James McCahon, J. P. Hatterschiedt, Geo. H. Keller, N. McCracken, J. C. Green, Champion Vaughn, R. N. Sherwood, Gaius Jenkins, and H. Miles Moore "to supply a sufficient quantity of water to any building in the city of Leavenworth."
The Delaware Company was incorporated in 1860 by J. L. McDowell, James R. Whitehead, John A. Halderman, R. Crozier, P. S. Parks, and J. C. Green "to supply the city of Leavenworth with pure water." Neither of these companies built anything.
The Leavenworth City and Fort Leavenworth Water Company was incorporated on March 16, 1881 and on January 18, 1882 an ordinance from the City of Leavenworth granted the company the right to construct and maintain a system of water works for twenty years. The company built a system that pumped water from the Missouri River into an elevated reservoir. The company contracted with Fort Leavenworth to install water piping, for which the Army paid the company $11,500 and the pipes became the property of the federal government. The Army then paid $500 per year for water service.
The City of Leavenworth purchased the system on January 1, 1921 for $630,000.
In September 1937, the citizens of Leavenworth voted to establish a Waterworks Board, which took over the water system.
Water is provided by Leavenworth Waterworks.
References
1858 An act to incorporate the Leavenworth
City Water-Works Company. February 6, 1858.
1860 An act for supplying the city of Leavenworth with pure water. February 27, 1860. Incorporated the Delaware Company.
1883 Leavenworth, Engineering News, 10:52 (February 3, 1883)
1883 History
of the State of Kansas: With Biographical Sketches and Portraits,
by William G. Cutler | Also
here |
Page 433: Leavenworth City and Fort Leavenworth Water Company -
Chartered March 16, 1881. In January, 1882, the company received the
contract from the city for building the reservoirs, putting in necessary
machinery and laying twelve miles of pipe. The Water Works of Leavenworth
are being constructed on the gravitation system. The pumps and the
settling reservoir are situated just north of the city, near the river,
while the distributing and reservoir is located on the high land of "Pilot
Knob," two miles in an opposite direction. After being pumped and
thoroughly settled the water is carried to the distributing point,
situated 350 feet above the low-water mark of the Missouri River, of 190
feet above the highest point within the city. The beauty of the system is
that, should either one of the reservoirs be disabled, the water supply
would not be shut off. In March, 1882, work upon the reservoirs and
machinery was commenced and completed in October. The capacity of the
distributing reservoir is 5,500,000 gallons, and the settling reservoir
6,000,000 gallons. The machinery consisting of two engines and two pumps,
was made by the Great Western Manufacturing Company of Leavenworth, at a
cost of $24,000. The twelve miles of pipe, called for by the contract,
will be laid by the middle of October - the entire system to be carried
out requiring nineteen miles, as it is proposed to bring the supply to the
State Penitentiary and Fort Leavenworth. The work contracted for this year
will amount to $250,000, and the sum to be expended in completing the
system, $300,000. The principal mains, north and south will run down
Second and Fifth streets and Broadway; those running ease and west, down
Kiowa, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Delaware, Walnut and Arch. The works are now
complete and in excellent working order.
Present officers of the company: L. T. Smith, president; H. D. Rush,
vice-president; D. M. Swan, secretary; M. H. Insley, treasurer; G. W.
Pearsons, chief engineer; T. A. Hurd, attorney.
1888 "Leavenworth," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1889 An act to authorize the Secretary of War to lease a certain tract of land to the Leavenworth City and Fort Leavenworth Water Company. March 2, 1889.
1890 "Leavenworth," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Leavenworth," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Leavenworth," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1904 City of Leavenworth et al v. Leavenworth City and Fort Leavenworth Water Company, 69 Kan. 82, 76 Pac. 451, April 9, 1904, Supreme Court of Kansas. | Records and Briefs for New York Case |
1909 "Water
Supply and Sanitation," from A
Compilation of Laws Covering Interests Upon the Fort Leavenworth
Military Reservation Together With a History of Its Institutions,
by Henry Shindler.
Pages 51-52: The method of supplying water for the garrison was,
until 1865, of the most primitive character. It was undoubtedly abreast
with the times, and, considering the general lack of facilities at far
western posts, these methods were evidently equal to the best in this
section. The water wras delivered in barrels hauled around the post after
having been filled on the banks of the Missouri. An early visitor to the
post describes the machinery for supplying the water as follows: "The
waterworks consisted of a six-mule team and wagon driven into the edge of
the water about hub deep, and in the wagon eight or ten barrels, with the
upper head out, set on end. The 'power' was a couple of prisoners from the
guardhouse, guarded by a sentry with musket and bayonet. One of the
prisoners stood on the hub of the wheel, clinging to the top of the wagon
box with one hand, while dipping up the water in a large camp kettle with
the other, passing it to the other prisoner who stood in the wagon and
emptied the water into the open barrels which were not covered to keep the
water in; and the water-wagon was doing well if it reached the fort with
each barrel two-thirds full. The team was then driven around in rear
of the officers' and soldiers' quarters, the prisoners dipping the water
out and filling the barrels kept near the back doors for that purpose."
In 1865, through the efforts of Colonel J. A. Potter, the depot
quartermaster, steps were taken to improve the method for supplying the
garrison with water. A pumping station was erected on the bank of the
river, about a quarter of a mile north of the high bridge spanning the
stream. With this steam pump the water was forced to a large tank, having
a capacity of 21,000 gallons, situated near the highest point of elevation
in the garrison. This tank stood little east of Scott avenue and south of
Pope Hall. The post was then supplied with two water-wagons, the bed
being built in a long box shape to which were attached eight mules and the
water hauled to all the quarters in the post. The tank was provided with
an automatic attachment to cause the pump to do its duty or afford it
relief according to the quantity of water in the tank. Cisterns were
placed at numerous points in the post, in fact every set of officers'
quarters was supplied with one for the storage of water and in season of
draught were filled from the tank by hose. Unless the roof and guttering
of quarters were kept clean of organic matter the result often was a
contamination of the water in the cistern.
Pages 54-55: Articles of Agreement with the Leavenworth City &
Fort Leavenworth Water Company.
1920 "How to Vote Intelligently on the Water Works Question Tuesday," Leavenworth Post, November 1, 1920, Page 10.
1921 History
of Leavenworth County Kansas, by Jesse A. Hall and LeRoy T.
Hand
Page 173: Fort Leavenworth. The first water works consisted of a six
mule team and wagon driven to the edge of the river and there barrels were
filled and distributed to the fort. In 1865 a pumping station was erected
on the. bank of the river about a quarter of a mile north of the bridge.
Water was pumped from there to a large tank situated on Scott Avenue south
of Pope Hall holding 21,000 gallons. From this water was hauled to the
various places in wagons. Cisterns and wells were also used. In 1883 mains
were laid from Leavenworth City and Ft. Leavenworth Water Co. and since
then the water supply has been obtained from this source.
1936 The City of Leavenworth, Kansas against The New York Trust Company, Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, First Department
1937 Relating to municipally owned water plants in certain cities and creating a board for the control, construction, operation and management thereof. March 15, 1937.
2013 Waterworks Board Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2013. Includes history of the system.
© 2015 Morris A. Pierce