Historic Water Pump - Las Vegas, NV
N 36° 09.563 W 115° 11.521
11S E 662628 N 4003140
This historic water pump and its well tower are located in the parking lot at the Las Vegas Valley Water District office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Waymark Code: WMGV2P
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 04/10/2013
Views: 39
The old pump has been preserved and is located at the base of the well tower. There are two plaques at the site. The one closest to the old pump reads:
Las Vegas
Water District
Old Well Tower #10
1942
The second plaque reads:
1905-1980
City of Las Vegas
Diamond Jubilee
From Within This Area Flowing Artesian Springs and Wells
Provide the Lifeblood to the Valley and Its Settlers.
This Abundant Supply of Water Has Been the Most Important
Asset in the Establishment, Development and Growth of the
City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Valley.
I contacted the Las Vegas Valley Water District office to see if they could provide more information about the old well tower and received the following prompt response (thanks to Bronson!):
"The well derrick is a historical structure that was used by the local water districts (Las Vegas Land & Water Company and Las Vegas Valley Water District) to maintain groundwater wells in the Las Vegas Valley. Well No. 10 was originally drilled in the early to mid-1940s by the Las Vegas Land & Water Company. The purpose of the well was to increase water supplies to the growing area along Charleston Boulevard near Main Street and further east. This well was one that was a good producer for the LVL&WC, capable of pumping more than 2000 gallons per minute. Because cranes and boom trucks were not as readily available as they are today, a derrick was placed as a permanent structure over the well. Through a system of pulleys and levers attached to the derricks, a well's pumping equipment could be raised and lowered into and out of the borehole without too much trouble. Considering the weight of old cast iron piping and the pumps, derricks were essential to operating a reliable well. Most well pumps have a life span of 10 to 20 years -- not to mention maintenance requirements and repairs -- so it was reasonable to believe that a well pump would need to be pulled from the borehole at least a few different times while in service, and that's why the derricks were installed. Derricks also served as a power pole (of sorts), allowing overhead power lines to connect to the well and provide power."