City Water Works-Reservoir

Waterworks; Reservoirs

This reservoir was located east of town. There were at least three such reservoirs around Madison. Plans for one of the early reservoirs were approved by the city council in 1846 under the guidance and ownership of Thomas Godman. It was to be fed by natural springs to insure a safe and palatable source of water. In 1852, when the system was near completion, Mr. Godman was beset with financial problems and asked the city to issue a bond sale to secure its finalization. Not long thereafter the city took over control of the system. By the end of 1852 water flowed down the hill in a series of pipes. The February 3, 1927 Madison Courier, in a Charles Heberhart article states, "Eighty years ago a pollywog was constructed at the top of Hanging Rock Hill to serve as a dam. A part of this wall is still standing...Water was dammed up here and permitted to flow down the railroad cuts by a wood conduit to several large reservoirs located along the west side of the railway tracks. The system served for several years until small boys about the city made a swimming hole of the reservoirs." Also, the wooden reservoirs deteriorated quickly and were hard to maintain. This system was one of at least three reservoirs built in the Madison area.

Harry Lemen, photographer

Madison Courier; Historical Files; Indianapolis News

Date unknown

Madison-Jefferson County Public Library

Permission to reproduce this image for other than personal use must be requested from the Director of the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library. Please contact at 420 W. Main Street Madison, IN 47250 (812) 265-2744

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