| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| Middle Atlantic States | New York | Cohoes |
Cohoes was settled in the 1630s, incorporated as a village in 1848 and as a city in 1869.
The Cohoes Company was incorporated in 1826 to develop water power at the "great Cohoes Falls" including "supplying water necessary for the purpose of said corporation." This company built a water system in 1848 under the direction of Francis S. Claxton that distributed water through cement-lined wrought-iron pipes.
The Cohoes Water Works Company was incorporated in 1855 by Charles M. Jenkins, Hugh White, Alfred Wild, Egbert Egberts, James Brown, Joshua Bailey, William N. Chadwick, William Burton, Henry D. Fuller, Andrew D. Lansing, Jenks Brown, and Truman G. Younglove "for the purpose of supplying the said village of Cohoes with pure and wholesome water." This company prepared plans for a water system, but the following year the city of Cohoes was authorized to construct water works. In 1857 the city bought the existing system for $6,000 and a new reservoir and water powered pump was installed.
Water is currently provided by the City of Cohoes.
References
and Timeline
1826 An act to incorporate the Cohoes Company.
March 28, 1826.
1850 "Ball
& Co's Patent Indestructible Water Pipe," advertisement, American
Railroad Journal, 33(3):42 (January 19, 1850)
I am enabled to add that under my direction, some six thousand feet of
cement pipe was laid by Messrs. Ball & Co. in this village, that the
main pipe was of 10, 4 and 6 inches bore, and is subjected to a pressure
due to average head of sixty-five feet - it has fully answered my
expectations. F. S. Claxton, Engineer and Ag't, Cohoes Co., December
31, 1849.
1855 An act to incorporate the Cohoes Water Works Company. April 10, 1855.
1856 An act to provide for a supply of water in the village of Cohoes. April 12, 1856.
1863 An act to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for a supply of water in the village of Cohoes," passed April twelfth, eighteen hundred and fifty six. April 29, 1863.
1868 An act to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for a supply of water in the village of Cohoes," passed April twelfth, eighteen hundred and fifty six. May 8, 1868.
1877 The
History of Cohoes, New York: From Its Earliest Settlement to the
Present Time, by Arthur Haynesworth Masten
Pages 99-100: The question of supplying the village with water by
means of the Cohoes Company's Canal had been agitated during 1847. The
first public movement in the matter was in response to the following:
NOTICE. “The occupants of dwellings in this village are requested to meet
at the Cohoes Hotel, Wednesday Eve, next, 23d inst., at 8 o’clock, to
ascertain what encouragement can be given to the Cohoes Company for the
establishment of hydrants in the principal streets and the introduction of
water from their Summit Canal into the dwellings of those who desire it.
Chas. A. Olmsted, L. Bemis, Wm. P. Israel Jr., H. Howe, Egberts &
Bailey, Miles White, J. Wan Santvoord, Sam’l Wilkinson, F. W. Farnam, John
D. Luffman, O. & D. Parkhurst, H. D. Fuller. Dated Cohoes, June 19,
1847.”
The result of this and subsequent meetings was an agreement, prepared in
September, between the citizens and the Cohoes Company in which were
stated the terms and conditions upon which the latter would commence
operations. This was signed by a large number of citizens. The work was
completed in 1848, and pipes were laid through the principal streets under
the direction of Col. F. S. Claxton. The water was drawn from the Cohoes
Company's upper level, the reservoir being near the point in the canal
from which the water for Harmony Mill No. 2 is now taken.
Pages 128-131, 138-139: Water works
1882 Cohoes, from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1883 Cohoes, from Engineering News, 10: 476 (October 6, 1883).
1886 Bi-centennial
History of Albany: History of the County of Albany, N.Y., from 1609 to
1886, Volume 2, by George Rogers Howell.
Page 968: The Cohoes Water Works.—The Cohoes Water Works Company was
incorporated in 1855. The following were named as commissioners: Charles
M. Jenkins, Hugh White, Alfred Wild, Egbert Egberts, James Brown, Joshua
Bailey, Wm. N. Chadwick, Wm. Burton, Henry D. Fuller, Andrew D. Lansing,
Jenks Brown and Truman G. Younglove. The capital stock was $50,000, which
might be increased to $250,000. This plan failed of execution, and the
next year an act was passed "To provide for a supply of water in the
village of Cohoes." The new commissioners were: Alfred Wild, Charles H.
Adams, Henry D. Fuller, Wm. F. Carter, Joshua Bailey and Truman G.
Younglove. They were empowered to issue the bonds of the village to an
amount not to exceed $60,000 and thus take steps to secure an abundant
supply of water. A reservoir was constructed on Prospect Hill, and the
water pumped from the Cohoes Company's canal No. 1. The first reservoir
has a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons. It covers two acres of ground; 1,200
feet of pipe carried the water from the pump- house to the reservoir,
delivering 35,000 gallons per hour. The pump (a Geyelin) was driven by
water with a 45-horse-power wheel. Five miles of sheet iron and cement
pipe were laid through the city. In 1869 steps were taken to enlarge these
water works. A new reservoir was built covering three and one-quarter
acres of land, with a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons. This reservoir is 190
feet above the central portion of the town. A new pump was placed in the
pump-house, having a Jonval turbine water wheel of 100 horse-power. The
pipes were also extended. In 1883 the water works were still further
enlarged, by laying 8,000 feet of new iron pipe in Mohawk and Remsen and
Main streets; 2,500 feet of this new pipe is 24 inches in diameter, 4,000
feet is 16 inches in diameter and the remainder is 12 inches. At the same
time two new Flander's pumps, with capacity to lift 6,000,00o gallons
every 24 hours, were placed in the pump-house. The whole expense of the
improvement in 1883 was $60,000. The whole length of the city water pipes
is now about fifteen miles. About 2,000,000 gallons are used daily by the
citizens. The present commissioners are: Wm. E. Thorn, President; Mayor
Alfred Le Roy, ex officio; P. E. Marshall, John Clute, Robert Weir, John
English, W. R. Benedict. The superintendents have been: Fred'k Upham, John
Doyle, Sheffield Hayward, H. R. Grant, E. R. Oilman, John DonIon, Albert
Kniffin.
1888 "Cohoes," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Cohoes," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Cohoes," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Cohoes,"
from Manual of American Water Works,
Volume 4.
© 2016 Morris A. Pierce