Documentary History of American Water-works

Uniontown

Uniontown, Pennsylvania

Uniontown was incorporated as a borough in 1796 and as a city in 1913.

The Uniontown Gas and Water Company was incorporated in 1859, but the stock subscriptions were not paid in so it was decided to sell the franchise to John H. Miller, Jr., who proposed to build gas works.

The Uniontown Water Company was incorporated on March 21, 1883 and built a gravity system.

The water company was bought in April, 1927 by the Pennsylvania State Water Company, which was part of the Consumers Water Service Company. This holding company was bought by the American Water Eorks and Electric Company in 1936.

Water service is provided by Pennsylvania American Water.

References
1859 An act to incorporate the Uniontown Gas and Gas Company. March 26, 1859.

1868 A supplement to an act to incorporate the Uniontown Gas and Gas Company. April 2, 1868.

1869 An act to authorize the managers of the Uniontown Gas and Gas Company to transfer its franchises. March 26, 1869.

1882 History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, by Franklin Ellis
Page 345: UNIONTOWN GAS-WORKS. The Uniontowu Gas and Water Company was incorporated by an act passed March 26, 1859. This act was supplemented by one approved April 2, 1868 I and in June of the latter year the company was organized, with Dr. Smith Fuller as its president, and T. B Searight, secretary and treasurer. Dr. Fuller, Col. T. B. Searight, and E. B. Downer were constituted a committee to open books and receive subscriptions The amount of fifteen thousand dollars was subscribed and at a meeting of stockholders held on the 10th of July, T. B. Searight, Alfred Howell, J. H. McClellan, E. B. Woods, and Ewing Brownfield were chosen managers, and a constitution and by-laws adopted.
After organization, the subscriptions to the stock not being paid in, John H. Miller, Jr., of Grafton, W. Va., proposed to build gas-works at his own expense, provided the company would transfer its powers and franchises to him. This offer was accepted, and legislation was procured (March 26, 1869) authorizing the transfer to Mr. Miller, with the proviso that he should not charge for gas a price exceeding two dollars and fifty cents per thousand feet, unless he was compelled to purchase coal at a price above twelve dollars per one hundred bushels. He soon after built the works (located on the creek near the Broadway bridge) as proposed, and operated them for the manufacture of gas until May 8, 1872, when Eleazer Robinson, of Uniontowu, purchased the works. He carried on the business till 1875, when his son, William L. Robinson, assumed charge and still continues to supply gas to the people of Uniontown.

1884 Uniontown, from Engineering News, 12:130 (September 13, 1884)

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

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

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

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

1901 "Control Uniontown Water Company," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 1901, Page 4.
W.J. Hayes & Sons, Cleveland bankers, to-day purchased a controlling interest in the stock of the Uniontown Water Company.

1910 "Borough Pays for Mythical Water Plugs," The Morning Herald (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), August 16, 1910, Page 1.
Paying for 114 plugs, only 112 exist.

1913 "Commission to Make Study of Water Question," The Morning Herald (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), December 30, 1913, Page 1. | part 2 |

1913 A history of Uniontown : the county seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, by James Hadden
Page 575: In 1883 the Uniontown Water Company piped the town and placed forty fire plugs at convenient places in the town, since which time others have been added as the demands required, with a guaranteed pressure of 180 pounds per square inch.
Page 704: The Uniontown Water Company was incorporated in 1883, with a capital of $300,000. The first reservoir was built on Shute's run in Cool Spring hollow and had a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons, and the water was piped to the town. Since which time several and much larger reservoirs have been constructed to meet the rapidly increasing demands for water. No town can boast of a purer supply of water than that furnished the inhabitants of Uniontown, as it is furnished direct from the laboratory of nature.

1927 "Water Service Merger," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 9, 1927, Page 25.
Pennsylvania State Water Corporation, subsidiary of Community Water Service Company, has completed negotiations for the purchae of the Uniontown Ws.ter Company.

1927 "New Owners of Local Water Company Announce Improved Service and No Changes in Rates or Personnel," The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), April 27, 1927, Page 1. | Part 2 |