Documentary History of American Water-works

Irasburg

Irasburg, Vermont

Irasburg was established in 1781 and was formerly known as Irasburgh.

The Irasburg Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1852 by Ira H. Allen, John H. Prentiss, George Worthington, Jr., Albert M. Dow, William W. Little, Hubbard Hastings, Jesse Cooper, and Henry M. Bates "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining an aqueduct to supply the inhabitants of the village of Irasburgh, in the county of Orleans, with pure water for domestic uses."

A second Irasburgh Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1860 by Isaac N. Cushman, A. A. Earle, Leavitt Bartlett, Joseph S. Kellum and R. W. Nye "for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the village of Irasburgh, in the county of Orleans, with pure water."

A third Irasburgh Aqueduct Company was incorporated in 1863 by Ira H. Allen, Thomas Jameson, A. A. Earle, Samuel Stamford, R. W. Nye, Wm. S. Flint, Wm. B. Denison, Geo. Worthington, Salmon Nye, I. N. Cushman, C. R. Taylor, L. M. Adgate, M. R. Tyler, John Lawrence, and S. G. Bean "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining an aqueduct to supply the inhabitants of the village of Irasburgh, in the County of Orleans, with pure water for domestic and other purposes."

No evidence has been found that any of the above companies built anything.

The Irasburg Water Company was formed by an individual in 1905 to distribute water in Irasburg. This company built a gravity system and was organized in 1923.

The Irasburg Water Cooperative was organized in January 1966 and incorporated on April 1, 1966. They purchased the water company, improved it, and the town purchased it two years later, although the Cooperative still operates the system.

Water is supplied by the Irasburg Water Cooperative, Inc. from a system owned by the Town of Irasburg.

References
1852 An act to incorporate the Irasburgh Aqueduct Company. November 23, 1852.

1860 An act to incorporate the Irasburgh Aqueduct Company. November 26, 1860.

1863 An act to incorporate the Irasburgh Aqueduct Company. November 10, 1863.

1937 "Complain of Water Shortage," The Burlington Free Press, August 5, 1937, Page 2.

1940 "Auxiliary Source of Water for Irasburg Customers," The Burlington Free Press, October 6, 1940, Page 2.

1941 "PSC Order Suspended on Irasburg Water Co.," The Burlington Free Press, July 19, 1941, Page 2.

1965 "State Wants Look At Irasburg Water," The Burlington Free Press, November 25, 1965, Page 8.

1966 "Irasburg Water Cooperative Inc. is Organized," The Burlington Free Press, May 2, 1966, Page 3.

1989 A History of Irasburg, Vermont, by Marjorie A. Orcutt and Edward S. Alexander
Page 63: A convenience for the village was the formation of the Irasburg Water Company in 1905 by Harvey Whipple of Barton Landing and George Russell and Fred Grant of Irasburg. Its supply was maintained in a reservoir near the Allen Brook, south of the present road to Orleans, and in dry times the brook itself could be diverted into the village system. During the period 1915 to 1923 several additional springs were purchased on the West Glover Road, but they were never connected to the system. Following the death of Whipple and Grant, Russell became the sole owner; in 1930 he sold the system to Clyde Healey.
Page 98: If the fire was in the village, water was drawn from a number of cisterns, supplied by the springs and reservoirs of the Irasburg Water Company which Clyde Healey purchased George Russell in 1930.
Pages 137: Irasburg Water Cooperative, Inc. The water system, built by the Irasburg Water Company in 1909, was showing its age after fifty years of service. The evolution of washing machines, dishwashers, show baths, lawn watering, etc. was just too much for the old patched up, repaired and spliced system to handle. There was and had been considerable public sentiment for a better system, all of which culminated, with the leadership of Homer Sheltra, in the organization of the Irasburg Water Cooperative, whose articles of association were dated January 26, 1966 and signed by Sheltra, Raymond Powers, Clyde Whittemore, Dean Kennison, Moise Girouard, Marcel Beaudry, and others.
The existing Irasburg Water Company was purchased from Clyde and Pauline Healy, additional lands were acquired from Lorraine Munsey and from Clare Phillips, new wells were driven, a storage pond and a pumping system were built, and much of the old galvanized pipe was replaced. All this was done resulting in a mortgage debt of only $23,000. Two years later the system was purchased by the Town of Irasburg, but the Cooperative continues to be the operating entity for the system, which provides the villagers with an adequate and healthful supply of water. Current officers are Harvey Sanville, President; Conrad Grims, Secretary; and Anna R. Powers, Treasurer.