"One of the first public enterprises of the new borough was the ultilization of the water from the springs just mentioned by the construction of a waterworks. This was in the first year of its corporate existence, viz., 1802. The borough took charge of the works and had ordinances passed to authorize issue of bonds to refund the subscriptions. The bonds were payable in six years, with interest at six per cent. The response was generous, some making donations of money, some of timber, and some of work. David Marquis, the father of the late David Marquis, M.D. of Rochester, had charge of the boring out of the logs which were used as mains; and Daniel Reisinger, a blacksmith, made the iron end-bands. The following account, which was found in an old ledger belonging to General Abner Lacock, is of interest as referring to this early enterprise:
| 1802 | L | s | d | |
| June 24 | To boarding borers 47 days | 3 | 15 | 6 |
| " 12 half pints whiskey | 5 | 74 | ||
| " 7 days burying water pipes | 1 | 6 | 3 | |
| " Cash paid Aaron Porter | 1 | 5 | 8 | |
| " Cash paid Thomas Lewis | 1 | 11 | 14 | |
| " 2 days rafting waterpipe logs | 9 | 4 | ||
| " 14 half pints whiskey | 6 | 18 | ||
| " Secretary charge, postage | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1803 | 10 | 7 | 04 | |
| June 13 | By cash in full | 10 | 7 | 04 |
And in the borough records for 1803 is found
a bill of Jacob Small against the borough for P_ I 13s. 3d. for
repairing pipes and pumps.
The supply from this source must have been
insufficient, for in the accounts of the Treasury of Beaver County
for 1806 we find this entry, "John Lawrence, 1 st payment
for digging a well $ 100." This well was a little east of
the old courthouse, in the northeast center reserved square, and
until a late day could still be seen though filled with rubbish.
The records of the town council for the same year (1806) show
the borough's indebtedness to John Lawrence for two and one half
day's service in repairing the water-works, $2.50; and in 1807
the council agreed with Hugh Wilson to build a stone house, I
I x 13 feet and seven feet high, on the ground at the source of
the springs which supplied the water-works; for which he was given
an order on the treasurer for $25. The borough officers in 1804
were: Samuel Lawrence, chairman; Thomas Henry, treasurer; Hugh
Picknoll, clerk; and Joseph Hemphill, water-man. In 1812, as the
records show, steps were taken towards erecting a new water-works.
On the 8th of April in that year the council passed an ordinance
authorizing two things: (1) the bringing down to the public square,
in wooden pipes, of the water from the springs in the reserve
lots, both of which abutted on the line of the lands of John Wolf;
and (2) the borrowing of money at six per cent to defray the cost
of the work.The council of Beaver until recently maintained this
water-works, furnishing from the same springs a good quality of
water.
One of these water lots was sold during
the past year (1903) by the council of the borough of Beaver to
John Galey, who now owns a part of the John Wolf lands. It was
thought best that the sale should have the approval of the Commonwealth,
and accordingly an Act of Assembly was passed for this purpose,
but his Excellency, Samuel W. Pennypacker, returned the same without
his approval.
In the year 1845 the first reservoir was
built in the water lot adjacent to the property of Henry E. Cook
on Fifth Street, and a line of pipe laid therefrom. At that time,
and for many years thereafter, there were four hydrants connected
with this line of pipe. The first was at Fourth Street and Branch
Bank Alley, and was under the charge of Eli Reed; the second on
Third Street, at the corner of the same alley, under the care
of Dr. Oliver Cunningham, then a member of council; the third
on Third Street, in front of the clothing store of Isaac N. Atkins;
and the fourth, added later, was about opposite the house of George
W. Hamilton, on Third Street. About the year 1848, a reservoir
was erected on the water lot adjacent to what is now John Galey's
property, and aline of pipe laid therefrom, on which hydrants
were placed; the first on Market and Fourth streets, near the
house of Daniel Reisinger; the second at the corner of Market
and Third streets, near the Presbyterian Church, as it was then
located; and, later, a third was placed in front of the property
now of Martha McDonald on Third Street then of Hugh Anderson;
and a fourth at Fifth and Market, on the property of Mrs. McConkey.
At this time, and for some time preceding this, there had been
a well on the property now of Snitger Brothers; one upon the property
of David Minis on Buffalo Street; and one on the property where
John Caughey lives, being the place where the stages came and
left the town; and a fourth, as previously state, was at the old
jail in the northeast center (now Harmar) square.
The next step in furnishing the town with
water was the erection of a pumping station opposite what is now
Brodhead Square. This system was in operation until November 1,
1898, when it was found inadequate to meet the wants of the growing
borough, and accordingly ten wells were sunk upon borough property
on the bank of the Ohio River, immediately opposite Wayne Square,
and a pumping station erected by Simon Harrold."
In studying Dr. Bausman's narrative we are
confronted with two questions. It states that "in the year
1845 the first reservoir was built on the Water Lot adjacent to
the property of Henry E. Cook on Fifth Street." The reference
concerns the structure that still stands on the above location.
But where were the previous two reservoirs located-the one built
in 1807 and the other in 1812? If they were not built on the same
lot, then it is logical to assume that the one was erected on
the northeast and the other on the northwest lot.
There are no records to indicate when a
reservoir was built on the northwest lot-later the Galey property-other
than the one constructed in 1848. It can be reasonably concluded
that any structure built before 184S on both lots, were only "spring
houses" protecting the flowing water, and not reservoirs
as the one still standing may indicate.
A number of wells were dug around the new
reservoir that were filled with reserve water. The depth of these
wells was about 30 feet and they were connected with flow-in pipes
to the main structure. Shut-offs were installed in the form of
a metal pipe reaching deep into the well and connected to a shut-off
valve. This mechanism was used whenever the main reservoir was
to be cleaned or when repairs were to be made. One such well is
still in existence on the northeast side of the reservoir, covered
with huge slabs of stone as a safety precaution. Supply wells
were dug on Beaver and Market Streets in order to accommodate
the residents at each end of the town.
We do know that an ample supply of water was channeled to that
section of the town on both sides of Market Street from springs
flowing from that lot, from an early date as Bausman relates.
In fact, the Borough Council created the designations of "Eastern
Waterman" and "Western Waterman" making each individual
responsible for each sector.
The other question is related to the first
power pumping station that was erected close to the river's edge
beyond the terminus of Dravo Avenue and Buffalo Street on land
that was part of the "right of way" of the Cleveland
and Pittsburgh Railroad Company. Dr. Bausman only mentions May
1, 1898, as the day the pumping station was abandoned. It leaves
open the question: When was it built? A fairly accurate calculation
would indicate that it was built in 1886 because the reservoir
on the "Water Lot" was abandoned during that year after
serving the Borough since 1845.
Be that as it may, the Borough embarked
on a course of building a larger water plant than the one in existence
in 1898. Bill Anderson, a writer for the Beaver County Times for
many years, now retired, and who also covered the local scene
in one of his columns relates the action as follows: "At
first, plans were made to enlarge the plant and install larger
pumping equipment, but then it was discovered that the borough's
title to the land, procured some years before from the Cleveland
and Pittsburgh Railroad, was not entirely clear. In fact, it was
determined, the borough was only a tenant-at-will of the railroad
company, and could be ousted at any time."
"It was then decided by council to build a completely new
plant on boroughowned land opposite Wayne Park and the end of
Beaver Street, just east of the C. and P. station, and a half-mile
east of the old plant."
"Minutes of the meetings of the town council in 1898 show
that a special election was held April 30, 1898, at which Beaver
voters approved a $28,000 bond issue to finance construction of
the new plant, a new water main and a new reservoir on the hill
above the northern end of Beaver Street."
"Ten wells were drilled along the river
bank, a pumping station was erected and equipped, and the reservoir
was also built at that time. This plant, designed to produce 1,000,000
gallons of water per day, was put into operation in 1899."
"With substitution of natural gas engines,
and a complete new pumping unit powered by a six-cylinder Chicago
pneumatic gas engine in the late 1920's, this plant was in operation
until 1950."
"Most of the water wells had been inundated
in 1936 when Montgomery Island Dam raised the pool stage of the
Ohio River approximately I I feet."
"Borough officials agreed with the
State Department of Health that this condition was undesirable
and the present completely -automatic, electrically-powered plant
was erected at a cost of about $90,000."
"It consists of three large wells, each fitted with a 500-gallon per minute capacity pump, a central pump house elevated above flood stage and containing a wet well from which two 750-gallon-per-hour pumps force water into the distribution system and to the reservoir. The plant's capacity is over 2,000,000 gallons per day."