Nineteenth century buildings, casement windows, clerestories, oak trees: the site of the Shreveport Waterworks Museum is one good reason for stopping on Saturday, May 7, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. Inside is a world of polished gauges, tubing, flywheels, pistons and piping. It is a wonderland of steam and water mechanisms.
Long known as the McNeil Street Pumping Station, the museum is an all-ages treat that will not consume too much time or energy. During the Sat event there will be food trucks and music. A free event, the purpose is, nonetheless, to raise funding for the landmark.
“In the 19th century, most middle and upper class households in the Shreveport area had cisterns. These large wooden barrels or tubs, located above ground and adjacent to the buildings whose runoff rainwater water they collected, provided water for bathing and laundry. This was not a reliable source of drinking water and it provided a breeding ground for mosquitoes that could spread malaria and yellow fever,” says shreveportwaterworks.org. For the wealthy, drinking water was delivered at a cost of five cents per bucket or 50 cents per barrel. However, the main issue that forced the creation of a water works system were the fires that sometimes swept the city. Without a readily available and consistent source for water, fires were nearly impossible to control.”
“Parking will be available across North Common on the access road. Persons with disabilities will be able to pull up to the front of the museum to get out but the vehicle will need to be parked across the street,” says Marilyn Joiner on the Facebook event page.
Highly recommended.
