September 12, 2005

Out of the Past

Campbell Water Tower landmark began with humble beginnings

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

You’ve probably seen the 130-foot landmark while driving on Highway 17 or maybe peeking through buildings walking downtown. As this is the premiere history column for the Campbell Times, what better place to start than the Campbell Water Tower, the beacon of the orchard city.

Early Settlers’ Day Parade with Scouts carrying a banner that reads “Pack 9 Campbell.” The Water Tower stands in the background. Circa 1950’s. Photo courtesy the Campbell Historical Museum.

Boasting ‘Campbell’ in broad letters, many residents follow it as they walk in the laidback historic district. But long ago, it was more important. It was used to store the water for a small population and irrigate the young trees that would become part of the valley’s vast agricultural area.

The Beginning
On Nov. 2, 1892, Campbell Water Company began. Benjamin Campbell, the city’s founder, along with family, friends and neighbors created the company for home use, electricity generation and irrigation of the newly planted fruit trees.

Campbell Water Company started with one small tank and was later replaced by two; one held 20,000 gallons and the other 40,000. By September 1898, the company listed 82 customers. Documents from that time list the highest bill as $3 and the lowest at 25 cents. Besides residential users there were businesses such as the Campbell Fruit Growers Union and the Farmers Union.

Calamities and fees
The 1906 earthquake destroyed both tanks but by June of the same year four 20,000-gallon redwood tanks replaced them. The cost was $300 not including assembly. In December of that year, a windstorm caused part of the roof to dismantle but it was soon repaired.

Pumping water became more costly and rates were adjusted in 1909. And conservation was an issue. The
Campbell Water Company rules and regulations book requested employees to notify any “inordinate waste of water on the part of consumers” and “water will not be furnished where there are defective or leaking faucets, closets…”

The Campbell Water Company stucco building was built in 1927. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

In 1913, the state Railroad Commission governed rate increases.

Meters were also available in 1909 but since it was not mandatory, very few were installed. E. R. Kennedy was the collector [he later became president and a major stockholder] and with his rate book established fees. A family of five or less would pay $1 a month. An additional person cost 15 cents though children under 12 were free. Those fortunate enough to have the luxury of a bathtub in their home were charged an additional 15 cents.

The flood of 1911 caused over $1,000 of damage to the Campbell Water Company and instigated the decision to have all customers install meters.

At this time, the business also purchased a new pump for installation. The main remained in service on Campbell Avenue between First Street and Harrison Avenue and across the railroad tracks attached to the small pipe on First, Central, Harrison and Foote Streets until 1969 when it was replaced.

Changes
In 1918, Hyde Investment Company purchased the water company. It is believed that the sale was due to the George Hyde Cannery using a great quantity of water and the owners planned to install a well. December 1920 brought a 50 percent rate hike from the company. This was due to an increase of wells being dug to 54 feet before reaching water, a 30-foot drop in only four years.

Campbell Water Company Tower showing transformers on power poles. Photos courtesy of Campbell Historical Museum

In 1927, the company demolished the old pump and tool house where the water tanks stood. Andrew Johnson was hired to construct a new stucco building.

In 1928, it purchased a 75,000 gallon steel tank from Pittsburg-Des Moines Steel Company to replace the four wooden tanks, which had been in service since 1911. Erected vertically on a tower it immediately became a Campbell landmark with its’ impressive 130 foot height.

The company continued to grow under the Hyde family through the following years but growth and change were in the horizon. By the late 1970’s, the small water company’s earnings did not merit good net proceeds for the shareholders. In 1975, they voted to merge with San Jose Water Works.

In the fall of 1997, a citizen’s task force decided the water tower would be painted and the addition of the letters spelling Campbell added. The colors were chosen to mimic the orchards that once filled the valleys: the tank an apricot peach and the letters an eggplant hue reminiscent of a prune.

The letters were strategically placed so that Campbell could be seen from Highway 17 and First Street. The city also installed lighting to the landmark. The .32 acres of Hyde Park [given to the city of Campbell by San Jose Water Company in 1995] encompasses the tower and the old stucco building built in 1927.

So when you walk downtown or visit the Water Tower Plaza businesses or zip down Highway 17 and gaze at the water tower, remember it is more than a beacon. It is a tribute to the founding fathers of Campbell and the growth of Santa Clara Valley.