newsletter 4-8

It can be easily understood why a city that is surrounded on two sides by water might take the precious commodity for granted. In the earliest years of settlement, water was extremely plentiful and probably drinkable directly from the river, creeks or the many springs that dotted the area.

WILSON SPRING– This source of cool-clear water was located along Murdoch Avenue, just above the Park Shopping Center. It was developed by the Parkersburg Lions Club in honor of WWI veteran, Ist Lt. Joseph Volney Wilson. The small white square above the monument is the actual source of the spring; it can still be seen today.

In the late 1940’s, Parkersburg City water was extremely hard. This situation created a ready market the Culligan Water Treatment franchise in town. Long-time WCHPS member Bill Corbitt worked as a “unit exchanger” for Culligan from 1948 thru 1953. Shown here by their fleet of late 1940 Chevrolet’s is, l-r: Bill Corbitt, Perry Carothers, Harold Henfrix, Fred Davis (part owner), Pauline Ashby (secretary), Francis Ridenour (secretary) and Harold Ashby (owner).

It was in the late 1880’s that Parkersburg developed a central water system– of sorts. Then, as today, people were particular about their drinking water. Thus, local springs and personal water wells continued to supplement the city water system.
Wood County Courthouse records show that in 1891 the Spring Water Supply Company was formed; in 1903, the Springdale Ice Company began business and in 1909 the Crystal Spring Dairy and Produce was incorporated. Their business was “spring water”. In 1924, Crystal Spring, Inc., located “near Parkersburg, but outside,” began a business of “selling and disposing of spring or mineral waters or other waters…”
Many of these sought after springs originated from the Sandy Plains of north Parkersburg. The most noted were located just north of West Virginia Avenue and situated along Murdoch Avenue.

As early as 1893 sodistilled until it was absolutely
distilled until it was absolutely pure. So pure in fact, that local druggists used it to compound their prescriptions.

Initially ice was cut from the Little Kanawha River and local ponds. It was then stored in sawdust for use throughout the summer months. But, as the river became less clean, the need arose for means of purifying water and actually manufacturing ice. One of the first concerns to do this was the Parkersburg Ice Factory, in business since 1888.