Documentary History of American Water-works

Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Beaver Dam was settled in 1841 and incorporated as a city in 1856.

The Beaver Dam Hydraulic Company was incorporated in 1855 by Thomas Mackie, William Farrington, Robert J. Norris, Robert V. Bogert, and A. Scott Sloan "for the purpose of conducting and conveying such water to and within said village" and "shall have exclusive power for thirty years." An 1856 amendment changed the incorporators to Robert J. Norris, Louis E. Schuyler, John C. Hall, and A. Scott Sloan. No evidence has been found that this company built anything..

The city of Beaver Dam contracted with Moffett, Hodgson, and Clarke of Watertown, New York for a water system in 1887, who developed many water works in the late 1880s. They formed the Beaver Falls Water-Works Company in June 1887 to build and own the system, which were operating by the end of August, 1888. The Moffett organization ran into financial difficulties and the Beaver Dam company was placed under a receiver and sold to its bondholders in 1897. The bondholders formed the Beaver Falls Water Company in January 1898.

The city of Beaver Falls bought the system in 1913 for $133,000, and took possession on January 1, 1914.

Water is provided by the City of Beaver Dam.

References
1855 An act to incorporate the Beaver Dam Hydraulic Company. March 29, 1855.

1856 An act to amend Chapter 302, of the Private and Local Laws of 1855. October 13, 1856.

1887 Engineering & Building Record and the Sanitary Engineer 16:74 (June 18, 1887)
The Beaver Dam Water-Works Company, Beaver Dam, Wis., has been incorporated. E. G. Ferris, and others are incorporators.

1888 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, August 31, 1888, Page 1.
The Beaver Dam Water Works are in successful operation.

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

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

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

1896 "W. G. Maxcy Appoined Receiver of the Beaver Dam Water Company," The Oshkosh Northwestern, April 16, 1896, Page 1.

1897 "Maxcy's Big Purchase," The Oshkosh Northwestern, October 2, 1897, Page 2.
Bids in the Beaver Dam Water Works Plant for $70,000.

1897 "Beaver Dam Water Works Company," New York Times, December 27, 1897, Page 10.
Articles of incorporation of the Beaver Dam Water Works Company have been filed in the office of the Register of Deeds, the incorporators being Willia B. Hord, Charles F. Street, and H. J. Bickford, capitalists of New York City. The company which controlled the system a year ago went bankrupt, and the property was sold Oct. 1 under a judgment recovered by the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company. The price paid was $256,000.

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

1898 "Beaver Dam Company Incorporated," Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, January 5, 1898, Page 2.
Madison, Wis., Jan 5.- The Beaver Dam Water company was today incorporated with a capital stock of $125,000.

1913 "In Re Determining and Fixing a Just Compensation to be paid to the Beaver Dam Water Company by the City of Beaver Dam for the taking of the property of the property of said company," November 21, 1913. Opinions and Decisions of the Railroad Commission of the State of Wisconsin.

1913 "Many Cities Buying Their Water Plants," Green Bay Semi-Weekly Gazette, November 26, 1913, Page 2.
Beaver Dam Water Company bought by city for $133,000.

1914 "Beaver Dam Now Owns Water Works," Fire and Water Engineering, 56(8):126 (August 19, 1914)
The business of the company was taken over as of the first of January, 1914.

The Wisconsin Historical Society collections include documents for the Beaver Dam Water Works Company and Beaver Dam Water Company.