I find it interesting to find out the origin and history of local things. Lately I was curious about the Vincennes Water Department so I researched it. The Vincennes Water Supply Company was formed in 1886 and ownership was listed by a firm Bullock and Mercer of New York, but there were lots of local people who owned stock in the privately owned company. Completion of the plant occurred in 1887 and it was located on the Vincennes University Campus. At that time the water supply was pumped directly out of the Wabash River, left to settle a bit, treated with lime, and then pumped into a 210 tall standpipe. This method worked but the water didnt always taste the best when the river was low. In 1890 the company was sold to a Walter Wood out of Philadelphia but locals still owned substantial stock. The Vincennes Water Works got Vincennes by on its water needs for decades but people complained of water quality and fire protection was hindered by low water pressure at times from the fire hydrants. The city folk really started to do some serious grumbling in the late 1920s prompting local Mayor Joseph Kimmell to push for the city to buy the company in order to improve quality, infrastructure, and lower water rates. They argued and fought in the courts about this for years. On July 1st 1935 Mayor Kimmell got his way and the city bought the Vincennes Water Supply Company for $1,125,000 from the owners Benjamin Parks, Charles Edwards, and George Alexander. The amount of $662,700 went directly to them and $456,000 went to pay off outstanding bonds. Their were new bonds sold to pay for this acquisition and later paid off by the profits from the water company. At the time of the purchase one of the owners said to the Mayor, This will be a monument to your administration that will go down through the years. Mayor Kimmells political rivals disagreed calling the purchase scandalous and insisted he paid $1,250,000 for a water company only worth $400,000 and insinuating that his pockets were lined with cash after the purchase. Reality is the Vincennes Water Company was appraised at $1,200,000 before the Indiana Utilities Commission would agree to the purchase. The first reference I found that the name had been changed to The Vincennes Water Department was around Christmas time of 1940. From the very first Superintendent Lawrence J Weisenberger to the current Superintendent Kirk Bouchie and all the people for the last 127 years who have supplied us with our citys water, I salute you. Now you know what I know.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:32:40 +0000
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