- 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:
- No
- 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.
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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.