When was the steel water tower built

By Jeanette Servin

Eureka!! After looking in all the wrong years for the year Dassel’s steel water tank was built, the date was finally found—the year was 1919. In the June 5, 1919, issue of The Dassel Dispatch, the following articles are found on the front page: (In Part)

“Will Build Steel Tank: The Village Council is advertising for bids for the construction of a steel water tank of 47,000 gallons capacity to replace the wooden tank now in use. New motors are also included in the specifications. The (wooden) tank is leaking badly, and the entire plant is in bad condition.” In another article entitled Notice to Contractors, it is stated (in part) the following:

“Sealed proposals will be received by the Village Council of the village of Dassel, Meeker County, Minnesota, until 7:30 p.m. on the 27th day of June, 1919, for the erection on a steel tank on the present steel tower and new pumping equipment…The work will consist of the erection of a new steel tank of approximately 47,000 gallons with steel riser pipes, two pump jacks and motors………Signed:

H. E. Swanson, Village President. Attest: John Clarquist, Clerk.

The actual work of installing the tank was begun in October of 1919.

Editors note: Jeanette noted that Roland Dille gave the DAHS a tip that led her to the sought after information. In a note to the History Center, he wrote, “There was some question of when the new water tower was built. In the article in the Dispatch about the burning of the Murphy store in October, 1919, the writer said that the fire department had a bad time fighting the fire because of the shortage of water, the old water tower having been torn down and the new one not yet up”