By Rick Wilcox
Part Two
The Stockbridge Water company did well. As the population grew, they added a pipe at Ice Glen water source. They were careful to charge more for those who had bath tubs and livestock – as much as $13 annually for cattle and sheep. They were able to declare dividends to shareholders – as much a $3 per share. They had 93 customers and things were going well until June 19, 1884.
At the Annual Meeting of the Stockbridge Water Company, President Dr. Williams and the 5 elected directors voted that the directors be authorized to take such measures as they may deem best to obtain an additional Water Supply, and, if necessary to borrow the money to pay the expenses of the same. The meeting was then dissolved.
At a Town Meeting held May 16, 1890, a committee was formed to investigate and report upon the question of a water supply. The six-page report favored the use of Lake Averic for a water supply and suggested waterpower from the Stockbridge Bowl could be used to pump water to a reservoir on Rattlesnake Mountain at a height of 338 [feet] above the Stockbridge plain. The report went on to offer information as to the impact of the new system on the tax rate in relation to better fire protection and increased land values, especially the land of Mr. Allen Yale or Mr. D.D. Field. The report ended by stating: A Town meeting will be held on Saturday, August 2, 1890 at 2 o’clock P.M. to hear the report of the committee. It would be over 80 years before the town would acquire the Stockbridge Water Company Resolved that the Board of Directors be and hereby are empowered to make any contract or take any action which may be proper in their judgment to carry out the provisions of Act 430 of the laws of 1889 being an act authorizing the company to furnish additional water supply and otherwise to accomplish the purpose of the said act.
At a meeting of the Directors held June 27, 1891 there were present DR Williams, CH Plumb, & DA Kimball. Daniel R. Williams was elected President, Daniel A. Kimball was elected Treasurer, S. L. Aymar was elected Water Commissioner. The Treasurer’s report was read, accepted & ordered placed on file. Voted (to reimburse the Treasurer for sundry expenses for travel and hotel fares in the Company’s service since 1886, including expenses connected with the renewal of the company’s charter in 1890 and matters not already charged for.) to pay him $100 in full for such items to date. Voted that the President & Treasurer be authorized to contract with Mr. John Feeley, or any other party, for a well and pumping station and necessary connections with the company’s present system, also to extend the mains through Church Street; and the Treasurer is authorized to borrow on the Company’s note and credit an amount not over $5000 to pay for the same.
The annual meeting of June 28, 1890 on a motion it was voted: That DR Williams, President & DA Kimball, Treasurer be a committee authorized to sell to the Town of Stockbridge the franchise, Corporate property, and all the rights and privileges of the Stockbridge Water Co. under the provisions of Chapter 430 of the Acts of 1889 and all other laws of the Commonwealth as pertaining thereto: upon payment of the sums agreed upon to make the proper transfers. Such Committee to make report of its doings as soon as practicable after such sale. On October 12, 1891 at a meeting of the Directors, regularly called, there were present DR Williams, CH Plumb & DA Kimball – DR Williams in the chair. On a motion it was voted to authorize the President & Treasurer to take purchase or lease in behalf of the Company the real estate belonging to Stephen C. Curtis or any water rights owned by him or any other parties controlling or affecting the waters of Lake Averic, and to contract with parties for laying the pipe and doing all work necessary to bring the waters of the lake to the village of Stockbridge, or to employ anyone for that purpose. The Treasurer shall receive subscriptions to the preferred stock of the Company at par and is authorized to borrow on the credit of the Company not to exceed $20,000 to carry out this vote.
And so it was that the privately held Stockbridge Water Company moved closer to being a department of the Town and the water source moved from Ice Glen to Lake Aeric. It would be over 80 years before the town would acquire the Stockbridge Water Company
Editor’s notes: 1. Rick Wilcox to Carole Owens: Hi Carole, When I returned from Vietnam in 1971 the Stockbridge Water Company was owned by Edmund Wilcox, my father’s first cousin, who sold it to the town in the mid-1970s. 2. This piece is excerpted from over 10,000 words of brilliant research.
