Albany Water Work’s Co. Additional Supply of Water, 1846

Albany, 1846. 91 p. (handwritten manuscript which appears to be minutes of meetings describing meetings of the Trustees of the Albany Water Works company (a private company supplying water to Albany). The first date mentioned is Mar. 16. 1846 as a report by the President (John Meads) of the company to the Trustees of the company about measures taken to supply water. Subsequent exchanges of handwritten comments are made between O. Meads, Sec. of A.W.W. and George W. Carpenter, City Surveyor and members of Albany’s Common Council discussing drawing water from Patroon Creek to supply water. In contemplation of the growing population’s need for an adequate supply of clean and reliable water source considering the topography of Albany and the cost of pumping water from a lower level to an upper level, the city representatives suggest to the private company to draw water from Patroon Creek. The land along Patroon Creek is owned by Stephen van Rensselaer, a woolen mill industrialist and a negotiation for water rights must be made with him.

Within this manuscript are included pasted-in newspaper articles from citizens expressing their observations and concerns about Albany’s water supply and possible additional water sources. The newspaper articles which appear to be from the Albany Evening Journal have dates extending the manuscript date from the earliest handwritten date of March 1846 to news print as late as 1849. Exchanges are made between various citizens, the city surveyor, George W. Carpenter and the officers of the private water company, as to pros and cons for various water sources taking into account droughts from 1840 which is when the Patroon Creek source first came into question). (some penciled editing is evident among the handwritten manuscript) (penciled pagination 437-527)