Documentary History of American Water-works

Hanover

Hanover, Pennsylvania

Hanover was incorporated as a borough in 1815.

The Hanover Water Company was incorporated on April 25, 1872 and built a gravity system that began operating in 1874.

The Consumers' Water Company of Hanover was incorporated on October 16, 1895 and bought the Hanover Water Company on April 6, 1896. This company in turn changed its name to the Hanover and McSherrystown Water Company on May 29, 1905.

The Hanover and McSherrystown Water Company sold to the North American Water Works Corporation in January, 1927, which became part of Samuel Insull's Northeastern Public Utilities Corporation.

A citizen's committee bought the water company on December 1, 1931 for $740,000, upgraded the system, and sold it to the borough on December 29, 1932.

Water is provided by the Borough of Hanover.

References
1882 Hanover, from Engineering News, 9:394 (June 10, 1882)

1882 Hanover from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.

1886 History of York County Pennsylvania From the Earliest Time to the Present, edited by John Gibson
Page 590: THE WATER COMPANY. The Water Company was organized April 25, 1872. The source of supply is an excellent quality of chalybeate water, from "Gitt's Spring," on the southern slope of the Pidgeon Hills, not far distant from a rich vein of iron ore, through which the water passes. It is the ingredient known as protoxide of iron, that gives to this water its healthful and invigorating properties, and is much valued as a blood purifier. The water is brought in six inch iron pipes from the source, 18.000 feet northwest of Hanover. The person who used every energy to organize the water company, was the late C. C. Wirt, who became the first secretary. He also originated other needed public improvements in Hanover, but died early in life. The engineer of the company was R. K. Martin, of Baltimore Water Works. The reservoir is 200 feet above the highest point of the square, in which the beautiful fountain is now located. An additional reservoir was built during the year 1884, near the first one, to increase the supply. The original board of directors consisted of the following-named persons; Joseph Dellone, president; C. C. Wirt, secretary; Henry Wirt, George W. Welsh, N. B. Carver and W. J. Young.

1888 "Hanover," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Hanover," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Hanover," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1892 Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), May 24, 1892, Page 3.
At a meeting of the Hanover Water Company it was agreed to offer the entire real estate and plant of the company, with their franchise, to the borough authorities for the sum of $60,000.

1896 "Water Company Agrees to Sell Out," The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 4, 1896, Page 2.

1896 "Water Company Sold," The Semi-Weekly Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), February 8, 1896, Page 2.

1897 "Hanover," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1907 History of York County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1, by George Reeser Prowell
Pages 836-837: Public Enterprises. The Hanover Water Company was organized April 25, 1872. The original source of supply is an excellent quality of chalybeate water, from “ Gitt’s Spring,” on the southern slope of the Pigeon Hills, not far distant from a rich vein of iron ore, through which the water passes. It is the ingredient known as protoxide of iron, that gives to this water its healthful and invigorating properties. The water is brought in six inch iron pipes from the source, 18,000 feet northeast of Hanover. One of the persons who used every energy to organize the water company was Calvin C. Wirt, who became the first secretary. He also originated other needed public improvements in Hanover, but died early in life. The engineer of the company was R. K. Martin, of Baltimore Water Works. The Pigeon Hill reservoir is 277 feet above the highest point of the square. An additional reservoir was built during the year 1884, near the first one to increase the supply of water for the town, and thus giving a storage capacity of 15,000,000 gallons in the Pigeon Hills.
The first board of directors was composed of the following named persons: Joseph Dellone, president; C. C. Wirt, secretary; Henry Wirt, George W. Welsh, N. B. Carver, H. A. Young and Stephen Keefer. Numerous changes occurred in the manage ment and as the town grew a number of the citizens decided to form a new company, and on the evening of Saturday, September 21, 1895, in the office of J. S. Young & Company, the first meeting of the Consumers’ Water Company was held. At this meeting a permanent organization was effected and officers elected. John S. Young was elected president; Dr. J. H. Bittinger, vice-president; C. E. Moul, secretary, and H. E. Young, treasurer. J. Q. Allewalt, Jesse Frysinger and Charles Young, in addition to the foregoing persons elected officers, composed the first board of directors. A charter was procured from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Kendig farm and mill, located on the Black Rock road, about three and one-half miles south of Hanover, was purchased and pumping machinery installed in the mill to lift water from the Furnace Creek to the distribution and storage reservoir which was constructed on what is known as Parr‘s Hill, on the Black Rock road. This reservoir has a capacity of 7,000,000 gallons. January 25, 1896, the board of directors of the Consumers’ Water Company passed a resolution providing for the purchase of the Hanover Water Company, which proposition was accepted by the last named corporation. The Consumers’ Water Company now having acquired all the charter rights and franchises of the Hanover Water Company, extended from its new reservoir on Parr’s Hill a twelve-inch main to Centre Square and ten and eight-inch mains to several other streets, then connected these new mains with those that were in operation by the old company, and thus continued to serve the public with an abund ant supply of water. There was no change in the officers until the death of J. S. Young, November 12, 1899. Charles Young was then elected president and continued to serve until 1904, when he declined a reelection. J. H. Brough was then chosen president; Dr. J. H. Bittinger, vice-president; C. E. Moul, secretary, and H. E. Young, treasurer, and at each annual meeting thereafter these same persons were reelected. May 24, 1905, the board of directors by resolution agreed to purchase the plant, charter rights and franchises of the McSherrystown Sater Company, and under date of May 25, 1905, the name was changed to Hanover & McSherrystown Water Company, and May 29, 1905, the following board of directors and officers were elected: D. Gring, Newport, Pa., president; J. D. Landes, Mechanicsburg, secretary and treasurer; H. E. Young and . H.Brough, of Hanover; and Dr. E. H. Lefiler, Millersburg, Pa., directors. J. H. Brough is superintendent and general manager. and under the newly elected officers and the management of Mr. Brough the plant has been enlarged and improved for the purpose of supplying the towns of Hanover and McSherrystown with the best quality of water obtainable in unlimited quantity. New and improved machinery was installed at the pumping station, where the waters of Furnace Creek enter the Codorus Creek, the capacity of the pumping main to Parr's Hill reservoir quadrupled, and the six-inch cast iron main from the reservoirs on Pigeon Hills paralleled by a new ten-inch line of pipe into Hanover, which has been connected with the mains formerly in use. The Hanover and McSherrystown systems have been connected, and both towns are now supplied from the same source.

1927 "Water Company Changes Hands," The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania), January 8, 1927, Page 1.
The Hanover and McSherrystown Water Company has been sold to the North American Water Works Association.

1930 "Ownership Tangle of Water Company Shown by Sketch," The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania), November 5, 1931, Page 1. | part 2 |

1931 "Insull Interests Get Gettysburg Water Company," Public Opinion (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), July 10, 1931, Page 10.
Also the Hanover and McSherrystown Water Company.

1931 "Water Company Changes Hands Today," The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania), December 13, 1931, Page 1.
The Hanover & McSherrystown Water Company has been bought from the Elecric Management & Engineering Corporation, New York.

1932 "Municipal Water Works Board Assumes Control," The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania), December 29, 1932, Page 1.