Sewer Project 1952
1952 - Jan 14 - Notice of
Public Hearing Town of Culver.
1952 - Jan 24 - Sewage $415,000 Bond Issue Sold At Low Interest Rate
The Reffesperger, Hughes and Company Inc. of Indianapolis, in a combination bid with
Stranahan, Harris and Company of Toledo, New York and Chicago, were the successful
nidders in the purchase of the $415,000. Town of Culver Sewage Works Revenue Bonds
sold here yesterday afternoon, W. R. Easterday, Culver clerk-treasurer, announced at the
close of the special meeting og the Town Board where four bids were connsidered
The issue of $415,000 bondis in $1000 denomination in to mature over 40 years sold for
below the advertised maxiimum of four precent.
The bid accepted by the board and presented in person by a representative of the
Indianapolis firm was three and one-fourth percent with a premiim of $3,2289.
Clerk-Tresurer Easterday explained that there had been approximately 31 inquiries concerning
the sale of the bonds.
Representative of competing firms attended the special meeting at the Town Hall. Also present
were Marshal Kizer, special counsel for the Town; and Donald Lessig of Warsaw, consulting
engineer.
Second low bid was by the Cities Securities Corporation of Indianapolis, whose bid was three
and one-half precent wotj $2,377 premium. The Lee Higginsooon Corporation of Chicago bid
three and one-half precent with no premium; and the Foxe, Reusch and Company of
Cinncinnati, Ohio entered a bid of three and t hre-quarters precent with no premium
Town officials explained that work on the sewage dispoal plant and the sewage sustem for the
Town of Culver and tp be used jointly by the town and th e Academy would start just as soon
as the money for the bonds was received. It was expected that the money would be available
within two weeks or as soon as the bonds can be printed.
Tentative award of the construction contracts wre announced in late November; the sewage system
contact going to the C. & M. Dredging Comapny of Knox; the Russell L. Easterday Construction
Company of Culver receiving the general and mechanical work; and the electrical work going to the
Mid-States Construction Company of Fort Wayne.
The C & M. Dreding Company has already moved equipment here.
Payment by householders business firms, the Academy and those using the sewage system will start
within the next weeks.
1952 - Jan 30 - Sewage Work Involves Excavating for 37,000 Ft. Tile
Literally there will be a lot of dirt flying when work starts on the sewage disposal system fot the joint
use of the town of Culver and The Culver Military Academy.
Town officials indicated yesterday that the C. & M. Construction Company of Warsaw sewer
system contractors and the Russell Easterday Construction Company, contractors for the
disposal plant, would start work within the next ten days or soooner.
Bonds now being printed will be delivered to the firm of Raffensperger, Hughes and Company Inc.
at Indinapolis within the next week. The Indianapolis firm in a combination with the Stranahan, Harris
and Company of Toledo, New York and Chicago, purchased the $415,000 bond issue last week.
Donald Lessig, sanitary engineer, who first planned the
sewage disposal system for
this locality back in 1940-41 and who revised the plans in the past two years, has cited
some figures which indicate the size and scope of the project.
For example the will be 26,200 lineal feet of lateral tilres and 10,800 feet of main sewer or a gran total of
37,00 ft.
The maximum depth of the tile will be about 15 feet while the average depth will be eight feet. Thiis
means that it will be below the basement of every home with the possible exception of seven dewelling.
There will be two lift wells, one large one located at t he east end of Prado Street, and one on Madison
Street, on-half block east of Main Street. Both of the llift wells will be equiped with two alternating
pumps.
The total excavation involved in the job will amount to approximately 60,000 cubic yards.
Mechanical excavators will be used and work will start about at eight different places at once.
There will be 174 manholes and if these were stacked one on top of the othere they would reach a
height of 1383 feet. Itr will take 52,300 pounds of cast iron for the manhole covers alone and it
will take 242,200 brick and 1840 sacks of mortar for their construction.
1952 - Feb. 5 - Property Holders To Start Monday Sewerage Payments, Apr. 1
Property holders and allusers of the sewarafe system to be constrcuted for the joint use of the town
of Culver and the Culver Military Academy will begfin their monthly payments aroung the first of April it
was announced by town officials on Monday evening.
Actuall payment will be one-half og therate as indicated in the official notice published on Novemebr 21,
1951, untill such a time as the sewer line reaches the property when full payment will begin.
The half payment monthly rate tp gp omtp effect sppn means that a single damily dwelling with a basic
rate of $2.45 per month will pay $1.23 per month untill such a time as the sewer reaches his property
when the full payment will begin.
A system of bookkeeping and billing procedures us now being worked out by Town Clerk-Tresurer, W. R.
Easterday. It is believed that some users will pay by the year instea of by he month. Contracts with the
firms who were successfull bidders for the construction of the seerage disposcal plant and system were
officially drawn up and signed at the regular meeting of the Town Board, Monday.
Contracts now held by the town board of trustees will be put into operation just as soon as the bonds now
being printed are signed and the money is turned over by the bonding firm to the town.
It was indicatd that 8-day for te $415,000 project will begin on the signal frrom town officials, perhaps
within the next few days . Everett Easterday stated that work on the disposal plany would start at
once. The C. & M> Dredging Company has already moved equipment here.
Those attending the meeting held on Monday included represemtatomce pf the Indianapolis bonding firm
of Hughes, Raffensperger and Co.; the RUssell Easterday Construction Co.; the C. & M. Brdeging concern;
Marshall Kizer, special counsel for the town; Donald Lessig, sanitary engineer; and members of the
town board.
1952 - Feb. 13 - Expect Work on Sewerage System To start this Week
With finds available for constrcution of the sewerage disposal system and the erection of the
sewerage treatment plant for the joint use of the town and the Academy, it appeared this
morning that there were only one or two minor paper details to be finished before work on the
hughe construction project starts.
Constrcution was expeceted to begin before the end of the week. Officials of the C. & M.
Dredging company and the Easterday COnstruction company stated that ther are ready to go.
The dredging firm will establish an office ehre and already have heavy equipment near the outler
of the lake where work is expected to Start.
A special callled meeting og town officials, the engineering firm, legal counsel and representatives of
the construction firm has been called. At the meeting contracts which were awarded in early January
will be turned over to the successful firms.
Don Hnd, president of the town board; and W. R. Easterday clerk=treasruer, were in Indianapolis
MOnday where, after formally signing the bonds for the town, they received funds from the
bonding company for carrying out of the project.
Officials have indicated that the date for the first of the monthly invoises will be sent out as of March 1
instead of April 1, as was originally decided and announced at a meeting of officials a week ago Monday.
The payment for the property holders will be one-half the base rate to b e paid when the sewer line r
eaches the indvidual's property. The net mamount o the invoice is to be paid within thirty days after
which a penalty of 10 persent will b e added.
It was explained that charges will be made to the owner of the property, mot to the leasee or renter.
This may mean monthly adjustments.
1952 - Feb 20 - Seek Easement From 26 Property Owners to Install Sewer
Property owners residing between Mill and Davis Streees, whose properties join at the rear of the lots,
attended a meeting at the Town Hall on Monday Night where they had been invitied by the Town
BOard of Trustees to discuss the mcessity of securing an easement for the laying og a sewer in
connection with the construction of the sewerage disposal system.
The town seeks an eight foot easement along the back of the property or a sixteen foot strip for the
purposes of laying the tiel.
Ther is no provisions for an alley way where the sewer is to be laid.
Twinty-six property owners are involved. Don Hand, president of the board explained to the
assembled property owners, wht the town was seeking the eastments/
Attorney Marshall Kizer submitted the legal forms for the easements which were discussed in deatail
with each property owner. It was disclosed that in some cases garages and other out buildings are
located on the line where the sewer is to go....
1953 - Feb 27 - Home Owners Advised To be Ready to Connect to sewer System
Home owners of Culver which will be served by the new sewage disposal system now under
construction should make plans immediately, or at least in advance of the time that the
main sewer reaches their line, to conect on to the taj which will be provived.
It was explained by officials that the connection to the seweage system is mandatory.
Arranglements should be made for materials and if plumbers are are to make the connection
property holders should contact tem in advance.
The full monthly charge for the sewage system starts for each property holder wher the sewer
line raches each property.
The C & M. Dredging Company have taken full advantage og the fine weather and have the
fifteen-inch tile laid from the site of the disposal plant across State Highway 17 and had progressed
to the Em,il Leader corner yesterday.
First connections with the sewer line were expected to be made yesterday evening at properties
near the Leader corner.
1952 – Mar 5 - Location of Sewer Line Discussed At Board Meeting
A near capacity crowd of interested citizens attended the regular meeting of
the Town Board on Monday evening.
Many of those attending the busy session were property holders along Main
Street extending from Mill Street to Davis street where the town is seeking
an easement for the placing of a sewer line at the back of the properties.
The Matter of the location of the line was brought before the group of
property holders at a called meeting two weeks ago where it was explained
that because there was no alley the the town was seeking easements to
permit the placement of the sewers at the back of the property to serve
both Main Street homes and those on Ohio Street.
Original plans called for the sewer line to go around the Boetsma Upholstery
firm Building making it necessary tow manholes.
At Monday’s meeting Joe Boetsma and his son offered to permit the town
to go underneath their building if the could be guaranteed that any damage
to the building would be prepared.
Following a discussion with Donald Lessig, consulting engineer, it was decided
to get estimates on the proposal with a view to following the suggestion. It
was believed that The construction of one manhole together with the saving
in tile would offset the cost of Replacing the floor of the Boestma building.
Among the property holders directly affected are the
Evangelical United
Brethren Church which was represented at the meeting by Board Chairman Lester
Young, and L. A. Crabb,
Dave Burns 419 s. Main , and
the Boetsmas, 115 W Mill .
Oct 1 1952 …. In one case at the Boetsma Upholstering building, workmen
pushed a 2-foot til under neath the building, the placed a 15-inch tile inside
the lager one
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1952 - Mar 12 - Work on Sewerage System Construction Moving Rapidly
Pictured here at the site of the Sewage Treatment plant are workmen as the start of the
sewage disposal system for the joint use of the town of Culver and the Academy begun.
Work on the dredging and laying of the main sewer, some laterals and the construction of
manholes is now will underway, and going along at a rapid pace. The C & M Dredging
firm encoutered some difficulty yesterday with ground water at the site of an
excavation at the corner of Davis and Main street.
Flow of water made mecessary the use of a pupm to keep the trench sufficiently free of
water so that tile could be laid. An offical of the Easterdy Construction Company stated
that work on the excavation for the Sewage Treatment Plant and the poruing of slabs
would be started at once.
1952 - Apr 2 - Sewage Excavation Starts On School Street Today - Town officials stated yesterday
theat ecvavation for the sewer line along School Street would start today at the corner of
Lake SHore Drive and School Strees. Home owners will tap on to the main sewer tile as it passes their
respective properties byt they will not connect with theri homes until the enteire line is competed.
1952 - May 21 - Approve Force Main - The Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board approved plans for
a force main between the Culver MIlitary Academy and the town od Culver, it was announced at
Indianapolis last week. The sewage system and disposal plant now under construction will be for the
joint use of the town and the Academy. The Academy sewer will join the town system along te
Academy ROad near the railroad.
1952 - Jul 9 - Work Progressin on Sewr System
Although hampered by numerous problems, laying of the sewer pipe lins and construction of Culver's new
sewerage sidposal plant is rapidly progressing. Pictured above t the left is a typical scene to be found
in many sections of Culver a dragline and huge machinery carry on the excavation for the main and lateral
tiles to serve, when completed, more than 500 homes in Culver and the Culver Military Academy. At
top right Bob Cowles looks on as a workman uses a pneumatic drill to break concrete so that the
excavating machinery can moce in. At the left below iis shown the forms for the new sewerage disposal
plant located on the south edge of Lost Lake.
Staarted in March, the huge project for the joint use of the town of Culver and the Culver Miltiary
Academy will cost in the neighborhood of $500,000. A large part of the laterals and main sewers
have been laid in the south and the west part of Culver. Lines have also been laid along Schoo Street and
south of College Avenue at the west end. Excavation in some places for the tiles has run as deel as 18 feet.
1952 - Oct 1 _ Sewage System Progress Report SHows Work Near FInish
A progress report on the currecnt construction of the sewerage disposal plant and the laying of the
sewer lines for the joint use of the town of Culver and the Culver Military Academy shows that work
is far ahead of schedule and barring, inforseen circumstances should be completed withing the
next few weeks. This lakeside community will then have a complete and modern system.
Construction of the Sewearage disposal palnt, south of State Road 17 and along the north shore of
Lost Lake, would undoubtedly be completed now if all the machinery were available for
installation. It was indicated Monday that the last of the machinery was scheduled to be delivered
here in Novemebr. The Easterday Cocstruction Company are contractors for the plant.
95 Percent Complete
Bell Taylor, representing the Don Lessig and son Engineering firm of Warsaw, and Bob Cowles who
is head of the C and M Dredging Company and has been constantly on the scene of operations
here since last Feb., reported that the work is approcimately 95 percent complete. Other things
beiing equal all of the sewer line should be completed within the next five weeks. Taylor indicated.
Few residents need to be reminded anout the amount of work involved in the construction of the
system. Their cheif concern is probably directed towards the repair of the streets and sidewalks.
However a check of the work shows that it has been a large undertaking, larger than the average
person would realize.
Repair of Streets, Walks
When the bids for the project were being considered last winter an item for the repair of the
streets and sinewalks amounting to $20,000 was turned down by the Town Board for the
reason that engineer estimated indicated that it could be done more ecoonomically by the
town thereby saving considerable money. In taking this action the board felt that the work
could be done for approzimately $7,500.
Don Hand, president of the Town Board, stated Monday that approcimately $7m700 would be
available during the next year for the replacement of sidewalks, repair of streets and replacement
of curbing, for which the town assumed the liability in letting of the contracts. Lest in this year's
budget is $2,500 for this work. On Jamuary 1st, there will be $4,200 specificlly allocated in the
budget for replacing the damaged streets., walks and curbs plus $1,000 contingent fund.
Cement supplies are extremely tight at the moment and while enough supplies were available
for repairing the street at the intesection of South Main and Davis stree last week, work was stopped
Monday because of the lack of supplies. The town now as a grader which will greatly aid in carrying
out the repair of streets. However dust will continue to be an unaconditionable hazard for sometime to
come it was explained.
Route of Main Street
The entire main line extending from near the Academy property at the railroad, south to the sewerage
disposal plant has been laid. For the information of thise who may be interested the main line
runs south of Academy road, east past the Bair property, then south to the town parking lot, across
road 17 along College avenue in the alley back of Forest Place, then south and west to
Forest Place, jogging to Pearl Street, west in State Street, south on State to Lake Shore
Drive, west to the Carl Adams corner, south on Lakview to the Don Osborn property, then west
across the Osborn property and the Donald Crosler property and west on Cass Street past the
Reformed Church to the alley between Main and Plymouth Streets, then south to Jefferson, west to
the alley east of the Post office, south to the intersection of Main and Davies. streets, then east to
the alley west of Obispo Street then south via South Street and Leader Street to the sewerage
plant.
Only seven laterals remain to be completed. One is along the alley betweein Liberty and State Street;
Bradley Court; Waahington Street to Coolidge court; up Coolidge court to alley, then east to
State Street, then north to Lake shore Drive; alley between Lakeview and Harding Court;
force then from end of line along Academy Road to railroad to be completed when the Academy lift well is
finished; and south on Lakeview Street to Washington Street.
Scope of Project
Just how big is the project, how many workmen have been invovled, how many tile have been laid,
how much dirt has been removed, and many other questions show thr scope of the project.
Over a year ago the Citizen asked Mr Lessig these questions and reported figures which showed
that the project was anything but a small one. This week we asked Mr. Taylor and Mr. Cowles
some of these same questions.
To date there had been laid
20,541 feet of 8-inch tile
10,789 eight feet of 10-inch thick tile;
200 feet of 12-inch tile; and
5,644 feet of 15 inch tile.
This totals 37,154 feet or it equals 7.04 miles.
The work has meant some very deep excavations, running in several places to 15 to 18 feet,
and t here have been some difficult engineering problems. Biggest problems were encountred
with the fround water and in caving in the deep excavations . One of the toughest was just
back of the Bank, another was on Plymouth street, mear Jefferson St. In one case at the
Boetsma Upholstering building, workmen pushed a 2-foot tile underneath the building, then
placed a 15-inch tile insde the larger one.
Lift Wells
There will be two lift wells, the larger one south of Davis Street on Prado Steet is 25 feet in
depth and one located at the end of East Madison Street which will be 13 feet on depth. The
machinery for the lift wells is expected in the near future. In the large lift well on Prado Street
temporary macinery is being used.
Over 21,500 cement blocks have been used in the construction of over 180 manholes. Payrolls
have exceeded $1500 a week on the laying ot the sewer alone and more than 30 men have
been employed in this phase of the work. Dirt removed would fill a sizable frieght train.
Since the main line has been tied together a great number of homes including all those
residences in the north and west area of the town can connect and start using the sewerage
system. Everything cna be tied on excepting thise residences which will be served by the line
along Bradley Court, Lake Shore Drive to Libery Street, to the alley behind the stores facing on
Lake Shore Drive, on to State Street and south to the area bounded by Lake Shore Drive,
Coolidge Court, south of Washington Street and Plymouth Street and east of Main Street south
of Jefferson street.