Documentary History of American Water-works

Ohio

Kendal

Kendal, Ohio

Kendal was founded in 1811 by Thomas and Charity Rotch, who migrated to Ohio from Hartford, Connecticut. Kendal was annexed by the adjacent city of Massillon in 1853, the same year a company built a water system in that city.

The Kendal Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1816 by Thomas Rotch and his associates "to supply the town of Kendal with good and wholesome spring water." The company built a system using wood logs that was operating by 1818. Information in local archives suggests that this system operated as late as 1822 but may have operated longer.

Water is currently provided by Aqua Ohio.

References
1816 An act, to incorporate an aqueduct company, in the town of Kendal, Stark county. February 20, 1816

1991 Invaluable Friends: Thomas and Charity Rotch, by Ethel Conrad
The same year Rotch began building an aqueduct to carry water from Spring Hill to the village. It was constructed of hollow logs with barrels sunk upon them at intervals to provide water where it was needed. The project was financed by issuing shares, for which each shareholder was assessed a total of $21.00. The Aqueduct was completed by 1818.

2002 Towpath to Towpath Massillon, Ohio, A History by Margy Vogt
Page 18: With the financial help of shareholders, Rotch built an aqueduct of hollow logs to carry cool, clear water from his Spring Hill farm to Kendal "to supply the village with good and wholesome spring water," He completed the pipeline in 1818.

An inventory of the Thomas and Charity Rotch Manuscripts from Ohio Memory. This site includes several letter to and from Rotch mentioning the aqueduct.