Documentary History of American Water-works

Nebraska City

Nebraska City, Nebraska

Nebraska City was incorporated in 1857.

The Nebraska City Hydraulic Gas Light and Coke Company was incorporated in 1858 by Stephen F. Nuckolls, Thomas Morton, and William Bennet. This company built a gas system, but no water works.

The City Water Company of Nebraska City was incorporated on February 10, 1887 by D. P. Rolf and H. N. Shewell, of Nebraska City, J. M. Walker of Lawrence, Kan.; Alexander C. Black and Rowland N. Hazard, of New York. This company built a system that pumped water from the Missouri River into a settling basin, and from there into a standpipe.

The Nebraska City Water and Light Company was incorporated on July 24, 1889 by John C. Watson, Frank P. Ireland, and Charles W. Seymour. The City Water Company was sold to E. A. Brown and resold the same day to the new company.

The Nebraska City Utilities Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1912 to own the Nebraska City Water and Light company and Nebraska City Gas company as subsidiaries, all under the umbrella of Samuel Insull's Middle West Utilities Company. The two subsidiary firms were merged into Nebraska City Utilities in January, 1925, and this in turn was bought by Central Power Company in 1927. The Insull empire collapsed during the Great Depression, and Nebraska City attempted to condemn and purchase the water, gas and electric systems owned by Central Power. Legal proceedings delayed the action, but the city took possession of the water system on November 3, 1941 at a cost of $300,000.

Water is provided by Nebraska City Utilities.

References
1858 An act to incorporate the Nebraska City Hydraulic Gas Light and Coke Company. November 3, 1858.

1886 "Nebraska City Water Works," The Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln, Nebraska) July 14, 1886, Page 1.
Nebraska City, July 13. This city today granted water works franchise to Readiger & Co. of Chicago by a vote of 600 to 49. Only about a half vote was polled but the vote represented principally the moneyed men and property holders of the city. Operations will begin with the next three weeks.

1886 The Columbus Journal (Columbus, Nebraska), December 22, 1886, Page 1.
Work was commenced the other day on the Nebraska City water works.

1887 "Waterworks at Nebraska City," Omaha Daily Bee, February 10, 1887, Page 1.
The City Water Company of Nebraska City. Capital stock $200,000. D. P. Rolf and H. N. Shewell, of Nebraska City, J. M. Walker of Lawrence, Kan.; Alexander C. Black and Rowland N. Hazard, of New York. The work of construction will be commence immediately.

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

1889 Certificate of incorporation of the Nebraska City Water and Light Company. July 24, 1889.

1890 George R. Gibson and others, respondents, v. The American Loan and Trust Company, Appellants, Impleaded, etc., Papers on Appeal

1890 George R. Gibson and others, respondents, v. The American Loan and Trust Company, Appellants, Impleaded, etc., 58 Hun. 553, December 29, 1890 Supreme Court of the State of New York | Also here |

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

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

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

1912 The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware), March 9, 1912, Page 3
New corporations. The Nebraska City Utilities Company, to furnish light, heat and power. The incorporators are of Wilmington and the capital stock is $80,000.

1920 "Middle West Utilities Company," Chicago Tribune, October 21, 1920, Page 11.
Nebraska City Utilities Company

1924 The Nebraska State Journal, May 19, 1924, Page 5.
The Nebraska City Water and Light company and the Nebraska City Gas company have made application to the Nebraska railway commission for consolidation under one head, the new company to be known as the Nebraska City Utilities Company, a subsidiary of the Midwest Utilities, an Insull organization. Altho consolidation has been in effect for several years, the companies have been operating under separate names.

1925 Lincoln Evening Journal, January 8, 1925, Page 9.
Merger of the Nebraska City Water and Light company and the Nebraska City Gas company, sanctioned this week by the bureau of securities of the railway commission, will not make necessary any changes in operation here, said C. L. Paullin, manager, today.

1939 "Central Power Co. Injunction Argued," Lincoln Evening Journal, May 4, 1939, Page 13.
Utility Endeavors to halt condemnation at Nebraska City.

1940 Central Power Co. v. Nebraska City, 112 F.2d 471, June, 1940, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

1941 "Nebraska City to buy water, gas systems," Lincoln Journal Star, September 10, 1941, Page 11.

1941 "Nebraska City now owns two utilities," The Nebraska State Journal, November 4, 1941, Page 7.