Pumphouse and Reservoir – Bisbee AZ

City:
Bisbee, AZ

Site Type:
Infrastructure and Utilities, Water Supply

New Deal Agencies:
Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs

Started:
1935

Completed:
1936

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Unknown

Description

In 1936 the Works Progress Administration built the Pumphouse in Bisbee, Arizona. A dam was built above the Pumphouse to hold water which fed underneath the Pumphouse and supplied the city’s fire hydrants.

The Bisbee Daily Review, October 2, 1935, reported the city engineer, Ralph Motz, and the CCC engineer, Frank Brunel, “spent yesterday morning looking over the site of a dam to be constructed in wood canyon for flood control and to prevent erosion. ..Water impounded during rainy seasons will be pumped into the city reservoir and stored for use of the fire department.”

The pumphouse bears a distinctive oval WPA plaque.

Source notes

National Archives Record Group 69-N

Bisbee Daily Review, October 2, 1935, Page Eight, “Erosion control work will start soon.”
Bisbee Daily Review, October 3, 1935, Page Two, “Dam site surveys made by engineer.”

Site originally submitted by Brent McKee on December 7, 2017.
Additional contributions by Amanda Hetro.

Location Info


831 Tombstone Canyon
Bisbee, AZ

Coordinates: 31.452039, -109.932264

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One comment on “Pumphouse and Reservoir – Bisbee AZ

  1. Christine Rhodes

    Wonderful information! When my children were young, we enjoyed seeing the large goldfish or carp that lived in the reservoir/former swimming pool.

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Contribute to this Site

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One comment on “Pumphouse and Reservoir – Bisbee AZ

  1. Christine Rhodes

    Wonderful information! When my children were young, we enjoyed seeing the large goldfish or carp that lived in the reservoir/former swimming pool.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.