History of the Johnstown Water Company
ACQUISITION OF OTHER WATER COMPANIES BY JWC0
During the nearly one hundred years of its history, the Johnstown Water Company has several times expanded its facilities and the area it serves by the acquisition of other companies. The first such company to be acquired was the Stonycreek Water Company, which had been chartered by Governor James Beaver on September 7, 1880 for the purpose of supplying water to the people of Moxham. E.B. Entwistle was president of the company and A. B. Moxham was treasurer. In 1880 all property and franchises of the Stonycreek Water Company were bought by Johnstown Water Company for $5500, and the Stonycreek Water Company was dissolved.
The next company to be taken over by the Johnstown Water Company was the Morrellville and Cambria Water Company, which had been chartered on October 11, 1888 for the purpose of supplying water to Cambria Borough and Lower Yoder Township. The sources of supply for this company included Strayer Run and a drilled well near the corner of Chandler Avenue and F Street in Morrellville. In 1916, 203 service lines of the Morrellville and Cambria Borough Water Company were changed over to Johnstown Water Company mains.
The third water system taken over by the Johnstown Water Company was a private company operating in Southmont Borough and owned by Franklin W. Otto. On July 16, 1917 Franklin W. Otto transferred to Johnstown Water Company 7783 feet of main at a price of $5,920.30. Johnstown Water Company added 2202 feet of lines at a cost of$14,3113.50 to the existing lines, making the total cost of this system $10,263.80.
The largest company acquired by the Johnstown Water Company was the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company. The Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company had been organized in 1893 to supply water to the borough of East Conemaugh. 'In 1907 the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company had expanded its area of service by merging with the Maple Water Company, which had been chartered in 19011 to serve Franklin Borough. In 1917 the Johnstown Water Company acquired the outstanding capital stock of the Conemaugh & Franklin for a price of $100,000. Also acquired in this transaction was the source of supply of the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company, Clapboard No. 1 Reservoir, which was located on Clapboard Run and had a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons. At the time of the sale the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company served 1522 consuners. From 1917 until 1961 the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnstown Water Company, buying all its water from the parent company and operating from the same Locust Street offices and with the same officers.
On March 20, 1961 the Public Utility Commission announced that it had received an application from Johnstown Water Company seeking permission to take over the property and franchises of the Conemaugh & Franklin Water Company. The transfer was entirely a bookkeeping change, intended to effect greater economy in operation. Since there were no protests concerning the consolidation, the Public Utility Commission gave its approval on June 27, 1961. The transaction caused no change in the rates or services of either company. The number of Johnstown Water Company consumers was boosted from over 23,000 to just under 25,000.
