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

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.