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North
Central States |
Wisconsin | Fond du Lac |
Fond du Lac was incorporated as a village in 1847 and as a city in 1852.
The first artesian well was bored in 1846 to supply the Badget House. Since then several others have been bored and supply water to a series of underground cisterns through pipes. In 1847 an attempt was made to introduce a general water supply from Colonel Conklin's farm, but was apparently not built.
The Fond Du Lac Water Company was incorporated in May 1885 and received a franchise from the city on May 29, 1885. The company contracted with the Holly Manufacturing Company for a system, which was tested in January, 1886. Control of the Water Company passed into the hands of three local men in 1899..
On October 3, 1911 the people of Fond du Lac voted to buy the plant from the Fond du lac Water Company for $345,091.33, a price which was established by the old Wisconsin Railroad Commission. The city took over the system on November 1, 1911.
Water is provided by the city of Fond du Lac, which has a history page.
References
1880 The
History of Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin
Page 570: 1847. Measures are being taken to form a company for
the purpose of supplying the village with pure and wholesome water, from
the beautiful spring of Col. Conklin, by means of a water-line pipe and
reservoir.
Pages 588-589: ARTESIAN WELLS. One of the most noticeable features
of Fond du Lac is its large number of fountains or artesian wells. From
them the place took the popular name of "Fountain City." Theodore Conkey,
now of Appleton, was building the Badger House, on the corner of Main
street and Western avenue, during the summer of 1846, and, desiring to
know how deep a well must be to reach the gravel bed, that he might
calculate how many cords of stone to secure for walling it up, set Mr.
Curtis to drilling for the required information. Mr. Curtis drilled to
what he considered an unusual depth without reaching water, and one night
about the 1st of August, thinking Mr. Conkey might not desire any more
money expended, asked if the drilling should be continued. "Yes," said Mr.
Conkey, "go on if you reach purgatory." The drill had then been sunk
between eighty-five and ninety feet, and when Mr. Curtis returned to pull
out the tools for the night, water in liberal quantities, cold and of good
quality, began to flow with considerable force. The discharge was at the
rate of 1,000 gallons per hour.
Since that time, fountains have been sunk in every portion of the city.
The water is used for domestic purposes, to supply the Fire Department,
and to furnish the boilers of steam machinery. For this latter purpose,
the water of some fountains is not well adapted, the lime and mineral
substances with which it is impregnated being injurious to the iron. These
substances, which more strongly impregnate the water of some fountains
than of others, possess medicinal properties. These are contained in the
oxide of iron, chloride of sodium, sulphate of lime, sulphate of magnesia,
sulphate of soda, carbonate of soda, and carbonic acid, which have, by
analysis, been discovered in liberal quantities. Hunter's Magnetic
Fountain, which discharges a strong stream several feet above the surface
of the ground through a two-inch pipe, became particularly famous for the
cures wrought by its use in cases of kidney disease and rheumatism.
The fountain was sunk to get water for a paper-mill, which proved to be
unfit for the desired purpose. The analysis ordered by Mr. Hunter, to
discover what the water contained to render it unfit for use in the
manufacture of paper, resulted in developing the fact that it possessed
valuable curative properties. A large bath-house and hotel were then
erected on the spot and the fountain advertised. This resulted in bringing
invalids from all parts of the Union, many of whom came on crutches and
returned home cured.
For fire purposes these fountains furnished an ample supply of water at a
trifling cost — without cost, in fact, except to maintain pipes and
reservoirs. The water from the large fountains on the high-school grounds,
at B. Wild & Co.'s bakery, on the premises of S. B. Amory, and from
others, is discharged into the fire reservoirs which are located at all
the necessary quarters of the city. These are all connected by large
underground mains with each other, so that when water is being pumped from
any one of them it receives a supply from all the others and also from the
several fountains whose flow never ceases. No city has a cheaper or more
effective water supply than Fond du Lac.
For ornamental purposes, the fountains can also be utilized in all
possible ways, as the supply is inexhaustible and not effected by frost or
drought. Those who have put up ornamental fountains with the best effect
are S. B. Amory and T. F. Strong, Sr., the jets being about twenty feet in
height, and of undiminished volume at all seasons. Mr. Strong's fountain
throws over 100 distinct jets of water, and Mr. Amory's has three large
jets in as many different localities, all supplied from one bore.
No fresher, purer, sweeter water can be found anywhere than flows from
these fountains, and no city in the West is so fortunate in this respect
as Fond du Lac.
1882 Fond
du Lac from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the
United States," by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
Water first introduced in 1840
1884 Sanborn
Fire Insurance Map from Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.
January 1884
Sheet 1: 37 Public Cisterns connected by 10" wooden pipe fed by
three Artesian Wells, with 60 ft. head; also 33 other public cisterns, and
river easy of access. In all 100 places for engines to pump water.
1885 Engineering
News 13:190 (March 21, 1885)
Fond du Lac, Wis., is asking for plans and estimates for water-works.
1885 Articles of Incorporation of the Fond du Lac Water Company, May 21, 1885 | also includes some annual reports and 1912 certificate of dissolution. |
1885 The
Oshkosh Northwestern, May 29, 1885, Page 4.
The attorney for the Holly Company is now in Fond du Lac engaged in
drawing up the contract for putting in the water works for the city.
He is accompanied by Messrs. Lineen and Flagler.
1885 The
Oshkosh Northwestern, September 19, 1865, Page 3
The Fond du Lac Water Works Company has filed a mortgage at the register
of deeds office in Fond du Lac for a total of $200,000.
1886 Wisconsin
State Journal, January 6, 1886, Page 1.
Ordinance repealed as works not completed on time.
1886 Brandon
Times (Brandon, Wisconsin), January 21, 1886, Page 1.
The Fond du Lac water works were successfully tested, last Friday, and
repealed water ordinance has been re-enacted with some amendments, and the
war is over.
1888 "Fond du Lac," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Fond du Lac," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Fond du Lac," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1892 The Fond du Lac Water Company, Appellant, vs. The City of Fond du Lac, Respondent, 82 Wis. 322, May 24, 1892, Wisconsin Supreme Court
1892 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. August 1892
1897 "Fond du Lac," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1898 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. July 1898
1910 In Re Fond Du Lac Water Company, August 19, 1910, 5 W.R.C. R. 482
1911 In
Re Fond Du Lac Water Company, November 22, 1911, 8 W. R. C. R.
259
© 2019 Morris A. Pierce