| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| Middle Atlantic States | New York | Richfield Springs |
Richfield Springs was incorporated as a village in 1861.
The village built a gravity water system in October, 1879, but added a steam engine to pump water into an elevated reservoir around 1886.
Water is provided by the Village of Richfield Springs.
References
1879 A
Report made to the Board of Water Commissioners of the Village of
Richfield Springs, by P.H. Baerman, C.E., upon a The Water
Supply, July, 1879.
1882 Richfield Springs, Engineering News, 9:131 (April 22, 1882)
1882 Richfield Springs, from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1885 The
Sanitary News 7:16 (November 21, 1885)
The water-supply service of Richfield Springs, N.Y., will be
extended. The contract has been let to T. Sullivan, of Syracuse, at
$11,200.
1888 "Richfield Springs," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Richfield Springs," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Richfield Springs," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Richfield Springs," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1905 Annual
Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor for the Fiscal Year Ending
September 30, 1905.
Page 1147: Baerman, Palmer H. Baerman, born Aug. 4, 1847, at West
Troy, N. Y.; graduated from the Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy, N. Y., 1867;
died Sept. 18, 1897.
After graduating, Mr. Baerman entered the service of the New York and
Oswego Midland R. R. where he remained two years; later with the New York
Central one year; and then was village Surveyor of West Troy. He held the
position of Assistant Engineer on the New York State canals in 1872, and
was later Engineer-in-charge on the waterworks of the Hudson River State
Hospital at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., for two and one-half years. He became
Chief Engineer of the Water Works at West Troy, Johnstown, Richfield
Springs, Cooperstown, Norwich, Sherburne and Lansingburg; Assistant
Superintendant and Chief Engineer of the Troy Water Works and designed the
Water Works for Amsterdam, Greene, Deposit, and Oneonta. In 1889 he was
appointed Engineer of the Public Improvement Commission of Troy, N. Y.,
and served until 1890. His last position was City Engineer of Troy from
1893 to 1894.
1916 Annual
Statistical Report of the Department of Health for the year ending
December 31, 1916, Volume 37
Page 569: Richfield Springs
1919 Annual
Report of the State Department of Health of New York for the Year
Ending December 31, 1919
Page 300: Richfield Springs
1921 Annual
Report of the State Department of Health of New York for the Year
Ending December 31, 1921
Page 230: Richfield Springs
1925 History
of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925, Volume 3,
by Nelson Greene | also here
|
Page 19: Hon. Richard Willett Sherman
In 1875 Mr. Sherman entered the contracting field, forming an association
with Messrs. Sullivan and Shanley of the New York and Canada Railroad. The
next year, in partnership with Dr. Emmett Flagler, he constructed the West
Troy and Green Island waterworks and later the firm of Sherman &
Flagler built the waterworks at Gloversville, Richfield Springs and
Walton. They also engaged in the construction of public projects in
Vermont and Ohio, likewise made improvements on the Champlain and Erie
canals and also executed other important contracts. The firm of Sherman
& Flagler was dissolved in 1879 and Mr. Sherman then went to Havana,
Cuba, to superintend for New York contractors the construction of a gas
plant supplying by one system the entire city of Havana. Returning from
Cuba in 1880, he executed a contract to provide Greenwich, Connecticut,
with water works. In 1881 he formed a partnership with Michael McDonough,
who became the junior member of the firm, and they filled many large
contracts, constructing the waterworks at Lansingburg, Sandy Hill, Little
Falls, Camden, Canastota, New Berlin and several other places.
In 1886 Thomas F. Kinney, the mayor of Utica, appointed Mr. Sherman to the
office of city surveyor, which he filled until the close of the year 1888
and also in 1894. During that period many improvements were planned and
effected, placing Utica in the front rank of beautiful cities, and during
his tenure of office the public works of the city were improved. The
system inaugurated is universally recognized as a monument to the
enterprising spirit of Mayor Kinney and the engineering genius of Mr.
Sherman. In 1888 the business of Sherman & McDonough was incorporated
under the name of Troy Public Works Company, of which Mr. Sherman was
president, and exceptionally successful work was done by the company,
which constructed a large part of the waterworks of Utica, and in many
other places in the state.
© 2018 Morris A. Pierce