Documentary History of American Water-works

Lansford

Lansford, Pennsylvania

Lansford was originally known as Ashton and was incorporated as the borough of Lansford in 1877.

The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company was incorporated in 1822 and around 1866 formed the Panther Valley Water Company. This company built a gravity water works system in Lansford in 1873..

The Panther Valley Water Company was incorporated on May 3, 1886.

The Lansford Coaldale Joint Water Authority was incorporated March 22, 1950. The Authority purchased the Bear Creek System from the Panther Valley Water Company for $700,000 on February 9, 1951.

Water is provided by the Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority.

References
1877 "Postal Changes," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 5, 1877, Page 1.
Name changed: Ashton, Carbon county to Lansford.

1883 Lansford, from Engineering News, 10:205 (May 5, 1883)

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

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

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

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

1918 History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania: Also Containing a Separate Account of the Several Boroughs and Townships in the County, with Biographical Sketches, by Frederick Charles Brenckman
Page 217: From the beginning Lansford has been supplied with water by the Panther Valley Water Company which is controlled by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company.

1950 "Ignore Protests Approve Water Sale," Pottsville Republican, December 22, 1950, Page 1.
The Public Service Commission approved the sale of the Panther Valley Water Company's Bear Creek System to the Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority for $700,000 cash.

1951 "Water Authority Buys Bear Creek Water System," Maunch-Chuck Times-News, February 10, 1951, Page 1.
The Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority has completed the purchase of the Bear Creek Water System from the Panther Valley Water Co. at a cost of $700,000. Completion of the sale took place yestesrday.

Records of the Panther Valley Water Company (1866-1965) are included in the archives of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company held by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.