Documentary History of American Water-works

East Mauch Chunk

East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania

East Mauch Chunk was incorporated as a borough in 1854 and in 1954 merged with the neighboring borough of Mauch Chunk and changed their name to Jim Thorpe.

The East Mauch Chunk Water Company was incorporated in 1860 "for the purpose of introducing, from the most convenient sources, into the said borough of East Mauch Chunk." A. W. Leisenring, W. B. Mack, John Rudale, Thomas Siegfreid, Solomon Dreisbach and George Ruddle were appointed commissioners to form the company. This company did not build anything.

The Maunch Chunk Water Company charter was amended in 1861 to allow them to serve East Mauch Chunk, and they built a separate system to serve that borough that was operating in 1861.

The National Water Corporation bought the East Mauch Chunk Water Company in 1928.

In 1962, the Jim Thorpe Borough Council agreed to purchase the Mauch Chunk Water Company for $350,000 and the Upper Mauch Chunk Water Company for $90,000.

Water service is provided by the Borough of Jim Thorpe.

References
1860 An act to incorporate the East Mauch Chunk Water Company. February 16, 1860.

1861 A supplement to an act, entitled "An act authorizing the governor to incorporate the Mauch Chunk water company," approved the sixth day of March, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine. May 1, 1861

1881 Mauch Chunk, from Engineering News, 8:520 (December 24, 1881)

1884 History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by Alfred Mathews and Austin N. Hungerford
Pages 680-681: Water Works. Asa Packer secured the charter for the Mauch Chunk Water Company in 1849,- the exact date of its issue being March 6th,— and solicited the subscriptions of stock. The incorporators were, beside Mr. Packer, E. A. Douglass, John Lentz, Jacob H. Salkeld, Cornelius Connor, Conrad Miller, L. D. Knowles, Edward Lippincott, John Mears, and George Weiss. The first president of the company was E. A. Douglass. A good water—supply was found in the springs in the valley of Mauch Chunk Creek, and operations were immediately begun looking towards its introduction to the town. Pipes were laid, and the other necessary work carried on with such expedition that the water was let on from the reservoir in December. The cost of the works was about nine thousand dollars. Pipes wére laid to East Mauch Chunk in 1858—59, and the company also sought and secured an additional supply near the head-waters of Ruddle’s Creek, about a mile and a half from the town. The pipes crossing the river were torn away by the flood of 1862. and from that time on the water systems of the two boroughs have been entirely separate and distinct, though controlled by the same company. The quality of the water, secured in both instances from 3 the mountain springs, is excellent, and the high elevation of the reservoir gives a force which, in cases of fire, insures the throwing of water upon the highest business block in the town. The present officers of the company are: President, Robert Klotz; Secretary, S. S. Smith ; Treasurer, Charles 0. Skeer; Directors, James I. Blakslee, William B. Mack, Charles O. Skeer, and S. S. Smith.

1888 "East Mauch Chunk," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "East Mauch Chunk," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "East Mauch Chunk," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1897 "East Mauch Chunk," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1920 Water Resources Inventory Report, Part VI, Water Supply
Page 121: East Mauch Chunk Borough, Carbon County. Mauch Chunk Water Co., incorporated 1849, also supplying Mauch Chunk Borough. The East Mauch Chunk Water Co. received a charter in 1860 for East Mauch Chunk Borough but never started operations. In 1861 Mauch Chunk Water Co. secured supplementary charter for East Mauch Chunk Borough, which _it has supplied by system entirely separate from that supplying Mauch Chunk (q. v.).

1929 "An Ordinance," Maunch Chunk Times-News, March 11, 1929, Page 5.
An ordinance expressing the desire of the Borough of East Mauch Chunk to pourchase, own and operate certain water works or water system in the said borough now owned and operated by the Mauch Chunk Water Company.

1956 "East Mauch Chunk Considered Buying Community's Water System Back in '86," The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), December 13, 1896, Page 57.