Documentary History of American Water-works

Lebanon

Lebanon, New Hampshire

Lebanon was chartered in 1761.

The Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct was formed on October 6, 1849 when local residents adopted the 1849 law authorizing their formation. George S. Kendrick was elected clerk.

The Lebanon Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1850 by C. C. Benton, George Kendrick, John Burnham, William Cole, A. H. Crogin and George Ticknor "for the purpose of bringing water from the Mascoma river into the centre village of Lebanon, in subterraneous iron pipes." No other information about this company has been found, but a 1908 history of Lebanon's water works mentions "an extremely inadequate semi-public aqueduct system of spring water brought from the surrounding hills, and of an amount limited to the needs of only about ninety families," that was operating in 1887. Further research in local records may reveal if this system was built by the 1850 company.

An 1868 law authorized the fire precinct to built water works, and in October, 1869, the fire precinct voted to purchase "a force pump, forty-five rods of iron pipe, to lay from the River to the Park, and hydrants to be attached to the same." A report in January, 1870, revealed several deficiencies in the system, which were addressed in August of that year when the pump was connected to a larger wheel of J. C. Sturtevant & Co. An elevated reservoir was built in 1871. Several improvements were made to this system, but by 1884 a desire was expressed to build a more comprehensive system that could serve the entire village. A plan was made and the voters accepted it on September 18, 1886 by a large majority. The new works were still under construction when a large fire destroyed 80 buildings in downtown Lebanon on May 13, 1887. A law passed in August, 1887, confirmed the actions of the fire precinct.

Another small system was built in in the 1880s by Frank Brown Kendrick, son-in-law of George S. Kendrick, which was operating as late as 1912.

The Hartford, Vermont, Water Company was authorized in 1897 to distribute water to the village of East Lebanon. This company was bought by the town of Hartford in 1947 and the West Lebanon portion was transferred to the West Lebanon Fire District. The two systems are still interconnected by a 12” main on the Route 4 bridge across the Connecticut River that can be used as needed.

A 1941 law changed the name of the Lebanon Center Village Fire Precinct to the Lebanon Water Works, and the fire department was reincorporated as the Lebanon Center Precinct Fire Department.

The City of Lebanon was chartered in 1957 and took over the Lebanon Water Works and West Lebanon Fire District.

Water is provided by the City of Lebanon

References
1849 An act making further provisions for the extinguishing of fires. July 6, 1849.

1850 An act to incorporate the Lebanon Aqueduct Company. July 11, 1850.

1868 An act to enable the Village Fire-Precinct of Lebanon to establish water works. [July 3, 1868]

1873 An act to ratify and confirm the doings of the Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct. July 1, 1873.

1876 The first and only town pump was erected in 1876 at the northeast corner of the common above a well constructed by citizens of the town. Its cool water gave “grateful refreshment to many thirsty men and beasts, and an unfailing source of pleasure to small boys.” From A Lebanon Timeline.

1878 New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette, June 26, 1878, Page 1.
N. H. Legislature. Senate. Tuesday, June 18. Notices of bills. By Mr. Shaw - an act to incorporate the Lebanon Aqueduct Company.

1878 New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette, July 3, 1878, Page 1.
N. H. Legislature. House. A message from the Senate through its assistant clerk informed that it had passed an act to incorporate the Lebanon Aqueduct Company. Ordered to a second reading.

1879 "Annual report of the Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct, and historical notes and gleanings," from Historical material relating to Lebanon, N.H., compiled by Allan Burton Downs

1883 Lebanon’s first water system was privately constructed by F. B. Kendrick. Water from a large well southwest of the village was pumped to cisterns in the attics of about 50 homes in 1883. The system later became part of the town water works. From A Lebanon Timeline

1886 Gazetteer of Grafton County, N. H. 1709-1886
Page 180: Kendrick & Davis (Frank B. Kendrick and William F. Davis) manuf. of watch keys, Water.
Page 181: Kendrick & Rogers (F. B. Kendrick and C. C. Rogers) manuf. of cabinets, Water.
Page 187: Rogers, Charles C. (Kendrick & Rogers)

1887 An act to authorize the Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct to establish water works. August 4, 1887.

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

1888 Kendrick & Davis begin to sell water (presumably related to their dam(s) on the river). From Kendrick and Davis Company History

1889-1930 Annual Report of the Water Commissioners, Chief Engineer, and Treasurer of Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct for the years 1889 to 1930

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

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

1897 An act authorizing the Hartford Water Company of Hartford, Vt., to extend its system of water-works into the village of West Lebanon, N. H. February 16, 1897.

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

1906 "The Village Fire Precinct and Great Fire of 1887," from History of Lebanon, N.H., 1761-1887 by Charles Algernon Downs. This is the best history of the water system prior to 1887.

1907 An act in amendment of "An act to authorize the Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct to establish water works," approved August 4, 1887. March 20, 1907.

1908 from Annual Report of the New Hampshire State Board of Health for the fiscal period ending August 31, 1908.
Page 77: Lebanon.—The water supply is owned by the Fire Precinct, and was installed in 1897. At first the water was taken directly from a stream flowing from Mascoma Lake, later on from wells, 63 x 30 x 15 feet, supplied by 900 feet loose-jointed pipe, fed by water infiltrated from the river.
During 1907 a mechanical filter plant was installed and the river water after a preliminary sedimentation and treatment with coagulant is passed through these filters before pumping to the reservoir. Analyses made thus far indicate that the filtration process is very successful.
Analyses are also here given of two other supplies, the availability of which was under consultation prior to the adoption of the filtration system.
A spring, known as the Kendrick & Davis supply, is also used to some extent.
The village of West Lebanon is furnished with water supplied by the Hartford Water Company, White River Junction, Vt.
Page 131-134: "Lebanon Water Works," adapted from "Development of the public water supply of Lebanon, N.H.," by Arthur John Ela, Master Thesis, Thayer School of Civil Engineering, Dartmouth College,
Page 131: Up to 1887 the village precinct of Lebanon, then with a population of about three thousand, was supplied with water only by private wells and an extremely inadequate semi-public aqueduct system of spring water brought from the surrounding hill, and of an amount limited to the needs of only about ninety families.

1912 Kendrick & Davis Company, year ending June 30, 1912. From State of New Hampshire Reports 1911-1912.
Note: The furnishing of water is not the principal business of this operator. The utility is operated in connection with other business.

1941 An act to separate the Fire Department of the Lebanon Center Village Fire Precinct from the Water Works Department of said Precinct and to incorporate each department. June 13, 1941.
1. Change of Name. The name of the Lebanon Center Village Fire Precinct in Lebanon is hereby changed to the Lebanon Water Works.

1953 Lebanon & a. v. Lebanon Water Works, 98 N.H. 328, November 3, 1953, Supreme Court of New Hampshire.

1957 An act to establish the city of Lebanon. July 17, 1957.
419:2 Transfer of Property; Special Districts Abolished. All existing property and assets now of said town of Lebanon and all precincts and districts within said town including Lebanon Center Fire Precinct, Lebanon Water Works, and West Lebanon Village Fire District shall be vested in said city under the provisions of this chapter. Lebanon Center Fire Precinct, Lebanon Water Works and West Lebanon Village Fire District are hereby abolished.

2014 Town of Hartford Master Plan, Adopted May 27, 2014.
Page 181: Hartford Water System. The history of the Hartford system is interesting. The Hartford Village area and West Lebanon were once served by the same private system, with storage at the Boston Lot Reservoir in West Lebanon. In 1947, the Town bought the entire system and then sold the West Lebanon portion to the West Lebanon Fire District. To this day, the Hartford and West Lebanon systems are interconnected by a 12” main that runs across the Connecticut River on the Route 4 Bridge. In emergency situations, the valve is opened to pipe water to the community in need.

[1933?] Chronology of Lebanon, NH news, 1861-1933, by Allan Burton Downs

[1942?] Historical material relating to Lebanon, N.H., by Allan Burton Downs includes Annual report of the Lebanon Centre Village Fire Precinct, and historical notes and gleanings

1852-1932 Annual report of the Selectmen and other town officers of Lebanon, N. H.

Colbee Chamberlain Benton 1805-1880. Famous explorer and travel writer.

George Samuel Kendrick, February 3, 1808 died March 29, 1878, will left property to his wife, two daughters, and son Edmund Peaslee Kendrick, 1849 - 1923, who was living in Springfield Mass when George S died. Later mayor of Springfield.

Frank Brown Kendrick, March.25, 1845 Death:March 29, 1936. Nephew of George S. Kendrick