Documentary History of American Water-works

Somersworth

Somersworth, New Hampshire

Somersworth was incorporated as a town in 1754 and as the city of Somersworth in 1893. The village of Great Falls is the commercial center of the town.

The first waterworks were built by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company in 1864, pumping water from the river into a reservoir. The company let the town install pipes and use the water. The system was owned by the Great Falls Gas Light and Water Company, which was almost wholly-owned by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company. Harvey Stuart Chase was superintendent of water works 1886 to 1891.

The Somersworth and Rollinsford Water Company was incorporated in 1887 by John C. Lothrope, Samuel A. Seavey, Casper E. Marshall, William Wheeler, and Charles P. Andrews "for the purpose of furnishing to the people of said towns a supply of pure water for domestic, mechanical, and manufacturing purposes, and to said towns water for the extinguishment of fires and other public uses." No evidence has been found that this company built anything.

The City of Somersworth was incorporated in February, 1893, and bought the water company in 1896 for $22,055.

Water is provided by the City of Somersworth

References
1877 Bird's eye view of Great Falls, Strafford Co., New Hampshire & Berwick, York Co., Maine 1877. Shows the works of the Great Falls Manufacturing Company and their reservoir.

1882 History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, by Duane Hamilton Hurd.
Page 684: In 1864 the reservoir for fire purposes and daily use at the mills was constructed at a cost of $100,000 ; it has a capacity of 1,700,000 gallons, and is located on the top of Prospect Hill, one hundred and forty feet above the first level.
By a liberal policy the company has allowed water-pipes to be laid through all the principal streets of the village, and gratuitously furnishes water for fire purposes to the town.

1887 An act to incorporate the Somersworth and Rollinsford Water Company. September 30, 1887.

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

1889 An act in amending of an act passed at the June session, A. D. 1887, entitled, "An act to incorporate the Somersworth and Rollinsford Water Company," approved September 30, 1887. July 30, 1889. May furnish water to the Berwick Water Company of the state of Maine; town of Somersworth may purchase system.

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

1891 An act to establish water-works in the town of Somersworth. February 12, 1891.

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

1894 First Annual Report of the City of Somersworth, containing the city charter, an account of the receipts and expenditures, the reports of the city officials, and the vital statistics for the year ending March 1, 1894, etc., prefaced with An Historical Sketch of Somersworth, by Hon William Daniel Knapp.
Pages lxviii: The manufacturing of cotton cloth (the chief industry of Somersworth) was almost at a standstill during the war. and the Great Falls company, havin g confidence in the future, occupied the time while its looms were still, in making improvements in its plant. A flouring mill was erected and put in operation, and a reservoir was constructed on Prospect Hill, and connected by a twelve-inch pipe with the river, to be filled by force-pumps in one of the mills. The town was permitted to lay water pipes, connected with this main pipe, and to place hydrants through the town for protection against fire, the company to have the use of the town's pipe for such service as its needs might require.
Under this verbal agreement the town has extended a system of pipes and hydrant service, so that the village is not in danger of a great conflagration through lack of water.
Pages lxxxvi-lxxxvii: The reservoir, built by this company in 1864, on Prospect Hill, is 140 feet above the upper level of the river (the top of the upper dam), and has a capacity of 1,700,000 gallons. In 1890, the company erected, by the side of the reservoir, a water-tower, or standpipe, 20 feet in diameter and 70 feet high, having a capacity of over 160,000 gallons, and furnishing a pressure in the hydrants on Market street of 80 pounds to the square inch, sufficient to throw streams of water over the tal1est buildings in the city.

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

1901 "Uniform Municipal Accounting," by Harvey S. Chase, Municipal Journal and Engineer 11(5):218-220 (November, 1901)
Mr. Chase graduated as Mechanical Engineer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, in 1883. Then entered the cotton mills and print works at Manchester and Great Falls, N. H. He was made superintendent of exterior works, including the water works and the gas works. Under his direction these works were rebuilt and became dividend-paying enerprises. He was made treasurer of these corporations.

1914 History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens, by John Scales.
Page 246: The manufacture of cotton cloth (the chief industry of Somersworth) was almost at a standstill during the Civil war, but the Great Falls Company, having confidence that the Union army would subdue the rebellion and restore prosperity, occupied the time while its looms were idle, in making improvements in its plant. A flouring mill was erected and put in operation, and a reservoir was constructed on Prospect Hill, and connected by a twelve-inch pipe with the river, to be filled by force pumps in one of the mills. The town was permitted to lay water pipes. connected with this main pipe, and to place hydrants through the town for protection against fire, the company to have the use of the town’s pipe for such service as its needs might require. Under this verbal agreement the town has extended a system of pipes and hydrant service, so that the city is not in danger of a great conflagration through lack of water. The reservoir is 140 feet above the upper level of the river (top of the upper dam) and has a capacity of 1,700,000 gallons. In 1890, the company erected by the side of the reservoir, a water-tower, or stand-pipe, 20 feet in diameter and 70 feet high, having a capacity of 160,000 gallons, which furnishes a pressure in the hydrants on Market street of eighty pounds to the square inch, sufficient to throw streams of water over the tallest buildings in the city. Further improvements have been made since then in various ways.

1942 The Corporation: A History of the Great Falls Manufacturing Company of Somersworth, New Hampshire, by James Burns Malley, Senior Thesis, Dartmouth College. No library is willing to lend a copy of this.