| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| Middle Atlantic States | Pennsylvania | Meadville |
Meadville was settled in 1788.
In 1807 the Pennsylvania legislature authorized a lottery for the Town of Meadville to raise $6,000, half of which was to be used "for the purpose of bringing water into the Town of Meadville by pipes." The lottery drawings were to be conducted in Philadelphia. No further information about the lottery has been found, nor any evidence that a water system was built at that time.
The Meadville Gas and Water Company was incorporated in 1853 and built a gas system but not water works.
The Meadville Water Company was incorporated October 30, 1874 and constructed a system that distributed water from an elevated reservoir.
The City of Meadville
purchased the water company in 1898.
Water is provided by the
Meadville Area Water Authority,
which was formed in 1991 and purchased the City's water system. The
seven member authority is responsible for overseeing the public water
supply delivery system for the City of Meadville. American Water Services,
Inc. manages the day to day operations of the system.
References
1807 An Act for raising by way of lottery the
sum of six thousand dollars for defraying the expence of making an
aqueduct to conduct water into the town of Meadville, and for other
purposes, April 10, 1807
1853 An act to incorporate the Meadville Gas and Water Company... April 13, 1853.
1859 Supplement to an act to incorporate the Meadville Gas and Water Company. March 30, 1859.
1881 Meadville, from Engineering News 8:448 (November 5, 1881)
1882 Meadville, from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1885 History
of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, by Samuel P. Bates
Page 450: The Meadville Water Company. — In 1873 a proposition to
put in water works at the expense of the city was submitted to the voters
of Meadville and rejected. A few of the enterprising citizens, among the
most active of whom were J. J. Shryock, James D. Gill, Samuel B. Dick,
Pearson Church, George B. Delatnater, William Reynolds, Alfred Huidekoper,
F, W. Huidekoper, George C. Porter and H. L. Richmond, Jr., then submitted
a proposition to the Council agreeing to build the works on condition that
the city would contract to use a certain number of hydrants at so much per
hydrant. The Council accepted the proposal, and on the 30th of October,
1874, the company was chartered. The construction of the works was
commenced at once, and in September, 1875, they began operations. The
pump-house is a brick building containing two pumps, and is located on
French Creek, just north of the corporate limits. The power is usually
furnished by a fifty-four-inch American turbine wheel, supplied by water
from the canal; but a 125 horse-power engine is in the building to furnish
power in case of necessity. The reservoir is located in the northeastern
suburbs of the city, immediately east of Highland Avenue. It has a
capacity of 5,000,000 gallons, and an elevation of 290 feet above French
Creek at the pump-house. The total pumping capacity is about 2,250,000
gallons per day, though usually but one pump is running at a time; and
about seventeen miles of mains carry water to every portion of Meadville,
in which there are 930 consumers. The works cost about $155,000, and the
capital of the company is $125,000. J. J. Shryock was President of the
company until 1878, when he was succeeded by James D. Gill, who has since
held the position. The other officers are: H. L. Richmond, Jr., Secretary;
Samuel B. Dick, Treasurer; George S. Cullum, Superintendent; and the
office is at 226 Chestnut Street.
1888 "Meadville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Meadville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Meadville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1897 "Meadville," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
© 2015 Morris A. Pierce