History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY 411 township. As that district adopted the graded, or union school system, in September, 1865, it has since been known as Rochester union school. The old Lyceum building was burned in I88I, and the following year the handsome structure of brick and stone was completed which is still occupied. The first cost of the building was $8,ooo, and in the summer of 1907 a $6,ooo addition was erected to meet the demands for better accommodations. Professor F. W. Wheaton, who has been at the head of the school for the past five years, is a most capable educator. He is assisted by nine teachers, the 340 pupils being divided as follows: High school, 65; other grades, 275. WATER WORKS AND FIRE PROTECTION Rochester has a good system of water works operated on the gravity plan. As coipleted, it is thus described in the souvenir number of the Era issued in I907: "About 1894 several Rochester gentlemen conceived the idea that the village could be provided with water on the gravitation system. On the farm of William Fox, two and a quarter miles west and north of Rochester, is a spring, or rather a series of springs, I50 feet higher than the village. A competent engineer was engaged who pronounced the project of conveying the water from the springs to the village, feasible. After several weeks of agitation the question of waterworks was submitted to the people and carried overwhelmingly. A plat of ground, covering one acre, was purchased by the village and the work of developing the wells commenced. Since which time 23 acres more land adjacent have been acquired by the village. A series of wells were sunk in the springy soil to the depth of 60 feet or more, which were connected and run into a main 12-inch pipe, which was gradually reduced to 8 inches. The contract for building the works was let to T. C. Brooks, of Jackson, who employed home labor. Over six miles of pipe was laid, and the pressure being sixty pounds gives the village one of the finest plants in the country. All this at a cost of less than $35,000. Additions to the pipe lines have been added until today there are io miles of pipe and 375 water takers, with a revenue of $I,850 per year. The analysis of the water shows a purity unsurpassed by any water in the state. Rochester is proud of her waterworks system and well may she be. A well equipped fire department of two companies is maintained to still further protect the property of the village against fire. The first public test of the system was July 4, I895. "With the completion of the new reservoir at the waterworks the system is on better footing than ever. The new reservoir was commenced in May, I906, and completed August 8, I907. The dimensions are 225 feet long, Ioo feet wide and 22 feet deep, with a capacity of 2,000,000 gallons. The bottom, west and north sides, are of 6-inch cement, four and one, the bottom resting on 555 piles. The south dam is 26 feet high (four under level) and is 9 feet at base, sloping up on the south side to an i8-inch top. This is made of 3 and I concrete and is heavily reinforced with carbonized steel rods. Water is furnished the

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History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.
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Page 411
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Chicago :: Lewis Publishing Co.,
1912.
Subject terms
Oakland County (Mich.) -- History.
Oakland County (Mich.) -- Biography.

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"History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley." In the digital collection Michigan County Histories and Atlases. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad1028.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 18, 2025.
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