Documentary History of American Water-works

Minersville

Minersville, Pennsylvania

Minersville was incorporated as a borough in 1831.

The Minersville Water Company was incorporated in 1855 with Richard Kear, Gideon Bask, William De Haven, D. P. Brown, Joseph F. Taylor, Joseph C. Wright, Charles W. Taylor, James H. Campbell, S. D. Ball, Elijah Hammer, T. B. Hale, Charles Miller, Thomas Kimber, John Brock, James Dundas, and George Spencer appointed as stock subscription agents "to bring and convey into the borough of Minersville, a sufficient supply of fresh and pure water from Big run or Dyer's run, or any other stream or streams in the said county of Schuylkill." This company built a gravity system that began operating in 1860, reportedly using terra cotta (earthen) and cast iron pipes.

The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Minersville was incorporated on October 20, 1941. The authority bought the Minersville Water Company in 1941 for $705,000.

Water service is provided by the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Minersville.

References
1855 An act authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Minersville Water Company. April 30, 1855.

1857 A supplement to an act authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Minersville Water Company. February 25, 1857.

1857 A supplement to an act authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Minersville Water Company. March 11, 1857.

1857 Weekly Miners' Journal (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), May 9, 1857, Page 2.
Minersville, very creditably, is moving energetically in the important matter of Water Works. It is proposed to convey the water from some streams rising on the Broad Mountain, and emptying into the West branch of the Schuylkill, at and west of Coal Castle. The plan of obtaining the water is by building dams on the streams -- a little above where they issue from the mountain -- of sufficient size only to turn the water into the pipes. From these dams, cast iron pipes of sufficient sizes are to be laid, in the usual manner, to Minersville, and to construct a reservoir on top of hill, north of the town, on land of the Delaware Coal Company, to retain the surplus water delivered by the pipes during the night. The length of the pipe from the dam at the mountain to the site of the reservoir is 16,928 feet, and the head or elevation of the upper end above the lower is 125 feet. The cost of the works, with an eight inch pipe, (which size the managers have adopted,) the whole distance from the dam at the mountain, to Minersville, will be $37,306, without reservoir. The works, we believe, are to go on immediately.

1858 A further supplement to an act authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Minersville Water Company. March 10, 1858.

1859 A further supplement to an act authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Minersville Water Company. March 21, 1859.

1859 Press (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), April 28, 1859, Page 3.
The Minersville Water Company want to borrow the sum of $12,000 for 5 years, for the payment of interest and principal of which they will pledge by mortgage (as recently authorized by the Legislature) the income, chartered privileges, property, and perquisites of the Company of every kind and description.
The above sum will, at contract prices, complete the works to the borough.

1860 Weekly Miners' Journal (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), June 2, 1860, Page 2.
Notice is hereby given that I have purchased of John Miller and Benjamin R> Webber, of Auburn, all their right, title and interest which they have in a contract with the Minersville Water Company, and also that all proceeds thereof are my property. I have also appointed and authorized Benjamin R> Webber as my Superintendent, in finishing the same. George K. Berger. Auburn, May 23, 1860.

1861 Weekly Miners' Journal (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), March 9, 1861, Page 2.
The Minersville Water Company last year introduced water into the Borough of Minersville. This water has been brought a distance of four miles from Dyer's Run on Borad Mountain, and being above the Coal formation, is perfectly pure.

1862 Pennsylvania Daily Telegraph, March 11, 1862, Page 1.
Mr. Reilly called up House bill No. 349, ah act to authorize the borough of Minersville, Schuylkill county to purchase and hold the corporate rights, privileges, franchises and stock of the Minersville water company.

1863 An act to authorize the Minersville Water Company to sell stock at Public Sale. February 9, 1863.

1881 History of Schuylkill County, Pa.
Page 167: The Minersville Water Company was incorporated by an act of Assembly passed April 30th, 1855. Under this act the company was organized in 1856, with William Sterner president.
Water was introduced in the borough in 1861. It was brought from Big run or Dyer's run on Broad mountain, four miles north from the borough, in pipes which pass through Mine Hill Gap. The dam from which the pipes are supplied is 470 feet higher than the lowest point in the borough, giving a pressure sufficient to throw an inch and a quarter stream to a height of 120 feet, of course obviating all necessity for fire engines.
Pipes are laid through all the principal streets of the borough, which is supplied with water of a purity not excelled.
The engineer under whom the work was laid out was Samuel Lewis.

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

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

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

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

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

1905 Pottsville Bank v. Minersville Water Co., 211 Pa. 566, April 24, 1905, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

1908 "Minersville Water Company," Third Annual Report of the Commissioner of Health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

1935 Eighty Years of Service, Minersville Water Company, Pennsylvania 1935 Anniversary Pamphlet. Original pamphlet published in 1935 to promote the 80th anniversary of the Minersville Water Company. Details history, original stockholders, etc.