I have come across a piece of Rochester history that presents me with a bit of a mystery. The picture with this article shows a water tower that appears to be made of wood. The photograph was in the museum collection, and on the back was a notation saying that the tower was located on Quaker Lane and was taken down in 1984. It also mentions that there was a Standard Times article on May 9, 19 ? . Armed with that knowledge, I started looking for more information about the tower, but I couldn’t locate the article or anyone who could answer my questions.
I did learn that the modern use of water towers began in the mid-1800’s, and by the late 1800’s, standpipes began to have storage tanks. The original water tower builders were barrel makers who grew their craft to meet modern needs.
The towers, like wooden barrels were held together with steel cables or straps. While gaps between the boards would leak when first filled with water, once the wood was saturated, it would swell and close the gaps. Towers had to have a minimum height of 20 ft. and diameter of 13 ft. The height of the elevated tank had to be high enough to pressurize its distribution system.
Tanks might be used to hold potable water, provide emergency water to fight fires or act as a reservoir to be used when a water shortage occurred. Tanks were common along railroad lines where they were used to replenish water used by steam engines.
I wonder if anyone knows who owned the pictured tank, how its water was used and when was it erected. If you can help solve my history mystery, you can contact me at eshbach2@aol.com.
By Connie Eshbach