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| Middle Atlantic States | New York | Whitehall |
Whitehall was settled in 1759.
The first water supply in Whitehall was built by Justin Smith in 1828. He petitioned the legislature in 1835 for a law to protect his rights, which was granted. Apart from a short reference in an 1878 history, nothing else is known about this system. Smith died in Whitehall in 1845.
George Pettibone may have acquired this system, or built a new one, as he petitioned the legislature for protection "for his water works" in 1840, which was granted in 1844. Nothing more is known about him or the system at that time.
The Village of Whitehall was authorized to build a water works in 1850, and Engineering News in 1885 states that the Village built a system in 1852, and rebuilt it in 1884.
The Whitehall Water-works Company was incorporated in 1877 by Edwin W. Hall, J. Sanford Potter, Herman R. Snyder, George A. Hall, Elisha A. Martin, Henry G. Burleigh, James Doren, and George Brett "for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the village of Whitehall, in the county of Washington, with pure and wholesome water." The 1878 history states that "A company is now engaged in sinking an artesian well near the centre of the village, and a depth of over two hundred feet has been reached," but it is not known if this is the same company, or if the water-works company built a system.
The village endured several bouts of typhoid in the early 1900s, apparently related to the water works.
A new gravity water supply was constructed in 1925.
Water is provided by the Village of Whitehall.
References
1831 Albany Argus, December 9,
1831, Page 4.
Notice - The subscriber will apply to the legislature of this state, at
its next session, for an act of incorporation, granting to him, his heirs,
executors, administrators, or assigns, the exlusive right to supply the
village of Whitehall in the county of Washington, with pure and wholesome
water. Nov. 18, 1831. Justin Smith.
1835 Report of the select committee on the petition of Justin Smith, January 10, 1835.
1835 An act relative to supplying the village of Whitehall with pure and wholesome water. March 12, 1835.
1844 An act relative to supplying the village of Whitehall with pure and wholesome water. May 7, 1844.
1850 An
act to revise and consolidate the laws in relation to the village of
Whitehall. March 16, 1850.
§7. 17. If authorized by a majority vote of the electors of the village at
a general or special meeting of said electors, the trustees shall have
power to supply the village with water, and are authorized to direct as to
the mode and place in which an aqueduct for the conveyance of water
through any of the streets of said village shall be laid, and may require
the material of said aqueduct to be more substantial than wood ...
Provided, nothing herein contained shall affect the rights heretofore
granted to others for "supplying the village of Whitehall with water."
1877 An act to incorporate the Whitehall water-works company, and to enable the village of Whitehall to contract with said company for the use of the water. April 14, 1877.
1878 History of Washington Co., New York: With
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men
and Pioneers, by Crisfield Johnson
Page 479: THE WATER SUPPLY. The introduction of pure water
into Whitehall by the construction of the public aqueduct in 1828 was, at
that early day, justly regarded as most creditable to the village, though
it is said that from the first the supply was insufficient. The scarcity
became more and more felt as the village grew in population, and, from
time to time, the storage capacity and tributary area have been increased,
but without obviating the difficulty.
The present sources of supply are Smith's and Adams' ponds, lying to the
southwest of the village. The upper reservoir has an area of one hundred
by two hundred feet, with a water-shed of about twenty-five acres, and an
elevation of three hundred and eighty-five feet above the canal at the
village. The middle reservoir has two hundred by two hundred and fifty
feet of water-surface, a water-shed of about one hundred acres, and an
elevation of three hundred and ten feet above the canal. The lower
reservoir has one hundred and fifty feet elevation, two hundred and
twenty-five acres of water-shed, one hundred by two hundred and fifty feet
of surface, and a much greater depth than the other two.
It has become evident that a greater supply must soon be had, and
engineers have been employed by the village to make surveys preliminary to
the prosecution of such a work. One of the projects contemplates the
utilization of Long pond, a body of water more than one mile in length and
one quarter mile in width, with an average depth of twenty feet, lying
wostwardly from the village, at a distance of six and one-quarter miles
from its outlet to the centre of distribution, and elevated four hundred
and fifty feet above the canal. A company is now engaged in sinking an
artesian well near the centre of the village, and a depth of over two
hundred feet has been reached.
The Adirondack spring, said to possess medicinal properties similar to the
waters of Saratoga, is located in the village, on Canal street. It is the
property of a company, who have erected a building, and do also a
considerable
business in bottling for shipment.
On the east side of Wood creek a small aqueduct with wooden pipes was
constructed some years ago by Dr. Harrington; but this has decayed and
been abandoned, and that part of the village has now no supply of pure
water, except from wells, cisterns, and an excellent spring, known as
Mosher's spring.
1885 Whitehall, Engineering News, 14:237 (October 10, 1885)
1888 "Whitehall," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Whitehall," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Whitehall," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Whitehall," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1916 "Whitehall (Typhoid)," by Hermann M. Biggs, M. D. State Commissioner of Health, Annual Report of the New York State Department of Health
1925"New Gravity Water Supply for Whitehall, N. Y.," by James P. Wells, Engineering News 95(9):344-345 (August 27, 1925)
© 2015 Morris A. Pierce