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| Middle
Atlantic States |
New Jersey | Hackettstown |
Hackettstown was settled around 1754 and chartered as a town in 1853.
The Hacketstown Aqueduct
Company was incorporated in 1811 by William Hampton, Benajah Gustin,
William Little, junior, James Stewart and Ziba Osborn "for the purpose of
supplying the village of .
Hacketstown with pure and wholesome water." No evidence has been
found that this company built a system.
A second Hackettstown Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1853 (this time with two "t's") by William Rea, Robert Stelle, Lewis C. Cook, William L. Johnson and Robert Rusling "to bring and convey into the town of Hackettstown, by means of pipes, conduits, forcing pumps or other machinery, water from the Musconetcong river, or from some spring or springs." This company built a gravity system.
The Town of Hackettstown acquired all of the capital stock of the Hackettstown Aqueduct Company by 1870 and acquired the system.
The water system was transferred to the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority, which was created by the Town of Hackettstown on February 15, 1965 pursuant to the Municipal Utilities Authorities Law, constituting Chapter 183 of the Pamphlet Laws of 1957, of the State of New Jersey, approved August 22, 1957, as amended and supplemented.
Water service is provided by the Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority.
References
1811 An act to incorporate the
Hacketstown Aqueduct Company, February 6, 1811.
1853 An act to incorporate the Hackettstown Aqueduct Company, March 10, 1853.
1862 A supplement to the act entitled "An act to incorporate the Hackettstown Aqueduct Company," approved March tenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-three, March 13, 1862.
1869 A Further Supplement to the act entitled "An Act to incorporate the Hackettstown Aqueduct Company," approved March the tenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-three, April 1, 1869. Increased capital stock to $75,000.
1881 History of Sussex and Warren counties, New
Jersey, compiled by James P. Snell
Page 590: IX.— WATER-WORKS.
There are few towns more favorably situated for the introduction of water.
At a comparatively small cost a fine reservoir was built on the side of
Schooley's Mountain by damming up the largest mountain stream, thus
securing an abundance of pure cold water at a sufficient altitude to throw
it over the top of the highest buildings. In 1853 an act of incorporation
was granted to the " Hackettstown Aqueduct Company." William Rea, Robert
Steel, Lewis C. Cook, William L. Johnson, and Robert Rusling were
appointed to receive subscriptions to the stock. The charter placed the
capital stock at $10,000, with privilege to increase to $20,000, to be
divided into shares of $20 each.
The company secured a site for a reservoir on Malvern Hill, and went to
work. Pipes were laid through part of the town, but the supply was
insufficient. As it was found a change would be necessary, legislative aid
was again sought, and by an act approved March 17, 1870, the directors of
the " Hackettstown Aqueduct Company" were authorized to transfer and
convey all their works, property, and franchise to the "Inhabitants of the
Town of Hackettstown."
Thus empowered, the town purchased all the stock and franchise of the
aqueduct company for $21,000, and bonds of the town were issued, at the
rate of seven per cent, interest, for the purpose of paying the original
owners and further improving their works.
The first commissioners under the charter were John Shields, I. W. Crane,
Reading Bell, Robert Rusling, Lewis J. Youngblood, and William L. Johnson.
They were to serve as follows: Two for one year, two for two years, and
two for three years, their respective terms of office being determined by
lot. After the purchase was made a new site was procured and the
Schooley's Mountain reservoir built, since which the water-supply has been
ample. It was found necessary to make a further issue of bonds, and the
total water debt now amounts to about $54,000. The annual revenue derived
from water-rates is $4200. The income more than pays the interest, and
enables the town to pay off some of the outstanding bonds each year.
1882 Hackettstown, N.J. from Engineering News 9:304 (August 26, 1882)
1888 "Hackettstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Hackettstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Hackettstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Hackettstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1911 History of Warren County, New Jersey
by George Wyckoff Cummins
Page 149: Hackettstown is fortunate in owning its water supply. In
1853 the Hackettstown Aqueduct Company was incorporated, and for nearly
twenty years supplied the citizens with water. In 1870 the company
conveyed all its property to the town for $21,000, and a new reservoir on
Schooley's Mountain was added to the one on Malvern Hill. Since then a
third reservoir has been constructed, giving an abundant supply of water.
The income from the water supply will have wiped out all of the town's
indebtedness by 1912, and thereafter the net income from the water supply
will be sufficient to meet all the expenses of municipal government.
2012 The Town of Hackettstown Municipal Utilities Authority Financial Statement
© 2015 Morris A. Pierce