WATER AND PLUMBING

This chronology has some serious leaks, and we welcome you to contact us with any further information or clarifications.  Many thanks to Tom Renner of E.H. Renner and Sons, Inc. for much of the information in this section.  Also see Tom’s memoir in Something in the Water.

In 1891, the Minneapolis Land and Investment Co. platted 2,000 acres in the heart of St. Louis Park.  The company retained the right to install, among other things, water or gas mains or conduits.

Minneapolis began providing homes with running water in 1895. [Unverified fun fact: the first separate bathrooms for men and women appeared in Paris in 1739.]

In 1911, Lesslie Max Renner, Sr. moved to St. Louis Park. Max had come from a family of well drillers in Berlin, Germany, and had established the Max Renner Well Company in south Minneapolis in 1895. By the turn of the last century, the Park was growing and each new home and business required its own well. Max moved his business west when he found that he was spending too much time travelling back and forth with his horses and wagons.

Edwin H. Renner, Sr. was Max Renner's 3/4 brother, their mother having married brothers (three in all!). E.H. was also half owner of the Max Renner Well Co. and left to form the E.H. Renner Well Co. He and his wife Gertrude owned a large home on Goodrich Avenue.

In 1918, Max Renner, Sr. and his son Percy were killed at 44th and Wooddale by the high speed Excelsior Street car. It was a very foggy morning. The Max Renner Well Co. was taken over by Lesslie Max, Jr., and his brother, Edwin H. Renner. A third brother, William, was installing windmills for another company.

1922
The McAlpine Well Company was located at 1333 Kentucky Ave. at Wayzata Blvd.

In 1924, Tom Motzko became Park’s first (and only) plumber.

Also in 1924, plumber Gust Hoglund started plying his craft in the Park, from his home located just southeast of Wooddale Lutheran Church. By 1961, the one-man operation had grown to a plumbing and heating corporation employing 50 people and headed by Gust's son Don. The office had moved to 7420 West Lake Street, which was built in 1955 on land platted by Hoglund.

Sewer District #1 was approved in April 1930. Alexander and Bradley were the Village Engineers. The Park water system was installed with WPA help. The Park’s first water tower was built for 600 customers. The 180 ft., 100,000 gallon tower was located west of Wooddale and 36th St.

The first plumbing ordinances were passed on July 9, 1930. Joe Williams was appointed both Fire Chief and Superintendent of the water system. He was succeeded by Ira Vraalstad, who and had done a lot of the work for the contractor who put in the original water mains.

The first patron signed up to be connected to the water main on August 25, 1930, to the Church of the Holy Name. This is probably Holy Family Church, which was started in 1926. A certificate was made out, in lovely longhand script, each time a building was connected to the water main.

One local plumber who did a lion’s share of those early connections was Tom Motzko. In 1931 he was found to be plumbing without a license, but the Village Council gave him the chance to take the test. Three generations of Motzkos have now served St. Louis Park.

Anonymous, undated anecdote, perhaps 1930-31: “The old Milwaukee artesian well was the coldest water in St. Louis Park. They drilled close to that well. They pumped it for at least 24 hours. After 24 hours, it started to draw creosote.”

In 1932, E.H. Renner left the Max Renner Well Co. and went into business for himself. Tom Renner, Ed's son, helped his dad in the summer, starting at the age of 14. By the time Tom was 17, he was drilling wells by himself. Ed and Gertrude Renner became involved with the Community Fund during the Depression years, starting in 1932. Gertrude was an active volunteer until the Village of St. Louis Park took it over. Gertrude than became a paid caseworker for the Village. By 1937 the load became too much for the Village and it was taken over by the County. Gertrude was put in charge of the western half of Hennepin County. After the War started the welfare load subsided, and Gertrude went to work as the secretary to Joe Justad and the first City Manager.

In the 1933 Street Directory, the Water Department reported that there were 329 water meters installed. Water was still obtained from Minneapolis.

In 1934, Joe Smith, 4133 (35) Zarthan, advertised as a well driller. His wife’s name was Bertha.

In 1934, the McCarthy Well Co. drilled a 16 inch well behind the old fire station at 36th and Brunswick. A company from back East built the 100,000 gallon water tower.

In August 1934, the Park pumped its first local water, which stunk. The newspaper showed Joe Williams with a horrible expression on his face as he tasted the local brew - the headline read: "Phooey! Says Water Expert." Creosote had leached into the water supply. After using the well for about eight months, the Village Health Department shut it down, and a connection was made to Minneapolis city water at France Ave. and Minnetonka. The installation of these first water mains allowed the fire department to buy a pumper truck for the first time. City water pipes were installed on most streets and avenues. The McCarthy well was idled but not destroyed for many years.

Click here for a picture captioned "Well Drilling Rig, Meadowbrook Golf Course, 1935."

In 1935 Clifford J. Browne was issued a plumbers license. Browne’s home and shop were located on Wooddale, where he lived with his four children and wife Lorraine, who did the firm’s bookwork. Browne’s daughters remember his first advertising slogan, created by their brother: “This is Cliff – Drop Over Sometime.” The business came to an end in 1954 when Lorraine was killed as a pedestrian (by a city bus) on her way to church on Good Friday. Browne never got over the loss and had to be institutionalized for the rest of his life. For a memoir of their father written by his family, see Something in the Water.

In 1937, Max Renner drilled two shallow wells at 29th [Minnetonka Blvd.] and Idaho. Water was pumped from the Platville limestone and the St. Peter sandstone to filter out the creosote. The location was chosen with the premise that goundwater flows from northwest to southeast in another effort to avoid the creosote. A deal had been made with a Minneapolis bank to put up the money for the well, and the Village would then purchase the water from the bank.

The first well was 285 ft. deep, and hopes were high that it would serve the entire community. However, these wells were pumped too hard, and they delivered a lot of sand, and the over-pumping pulled the creosote over. These wells were sealed by E.H. Renner and Sons, Inc. in the mid 1950's.

A 1937 news article shows Village Health Commissioner Dr. Darby holding up a sample of the new water; he claimed that it was free from all bacteria and softer than Minneapolis water. The well drillers knew that it was harder than Minneapolis "river water" and that it contained about 3 parts per million of iron, which left stains. Homeowners use water softeners to this day.

The water system was considered completed on June 17, 1938, serving 800 families. By 1940 the Village had 150 miles of water mains and a pumping system that could deliver water from three artesian wells.

In 1940, Tom Motzko had 50 men on his payroll. He had plumbed the Park Theater the year before.

In 1941, construction started on the 500,000 gallon (and 23,000 in the riser) water tower located "250 feet south of the center of the Minneapolis-Excelsior Road" at Highway 100 in November. It went into operation about July 1, 1942, and cost $42,260. It was the Village’s second such tank. It was demolished on September 1, 1994.

On November 6, 1942, the Dispatch had a cryptic item saying that the bonding company would pay the shortage in the Water Department funds during the term of Mr. R.M. Porter. Porter had been arrested several weeks ago.

In the fall of 1946, Scotty Hudson was apparently living in the west half of the Village Pump House. The address given in 6021 W. 36th Street, but that’s not an address today.

In December 1946, Village Well #5 was purchased from Emil Duemke for $2,500. It was located west of Texas and south of 34th Street.

In 1947 there was pressure put on the Village Council to extend the water system, but the village still owed $132,000 on its $480,000 system. The problem was solved in 1950 when they put out a $488,000 bond issue.

In 1947, Ed Renner's sons Edwin R. ("Eddie") and Tom joined the company when they returned from the Service. An ad from the 1947 Park Directory shows a proud father at his desk and his two strapping sons standing by one of their trucks. In 1953 E.H. Renner and Sons incorporated, and Ed Sr. retired that July. In 1958, in search of more room and better proximity to new business in outlying areas, the firm relocated to a 50-acre tract in Elk River.

The daughters of plumber Clifford J. Browne describe how some of the new developments were built. Foundations would be set into block-long trenches that had been dug by heavy machinery. Cesspools and waterlines were dug by hand by “diggers.”

In May 1949, the Village bought 20,000 gallons of chlorine from Hawkins Chemical for 12 cents/gallon.  For the water supply?

In mid-1950, a one million gallon water tower was built at the cost of $265,000. The tower was built at 8301 W. 25th Street and served the Oak Hill area.

By 1951, water mains served 6,500 users. Water was pumped by six deep wells, with the pressure delivered by three overhead tanks with a combined capacity of 1.6 million gallons.

Sewers obviously went in on Brook Lane in 1951, and Mr. Harold Johnson raised a concern that the construction “might do great damage to his mink kits.”

On January 6, 1951, local dentists urged the Village to add fluoride to the water.  It would take another nine years.  An article from 1960 notes, "Traditionally ultra-conservative, this body seldom recommends anything." 

In 1952, complaints were made about people dumping sewage into the sewer manhole at 36th and Wooddale during working hours. Nels Larson was caught in the act.

In 1953, a 355 ft. water tower was built at Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana. That same year, on September 18, there was a drowning in the water main trench at 23rd and Hampshire.

In 1956 the City Council passed an ordinance regulating the licensing of persons installing water softeners. Also in 1956, well driller Tom Renner came before the council to alert them to the fact that people were taking pumps out of their wells and using them for sumps. An ordinance was ordered regulating abandoned wells.

An ordinance licensing and regulating well drilling was enacted on March 10, 1958.

By 1959-1960, sewer systems were in place throughout the City.

In 1960, it was determined that 35 percent of all private wells in the Park were contaminated. In March, three of the ten City wells were shut down for contamination as well. Dr. Ellen Fifer, City Health Officer, argued for a municipal water system and the elimination of private wells.  Nitrites were found in the water, and indication of sewage recirculation.

The D.A. Oil Company building had been built over the Milwaukee Railroad well, which was located just east of Wooddale Avenue, 150 ft. south of the tracks [later the site of the Unpainted Place]. In 1960, E.H. Renner and Sons was hired by the State of Minnesota to seal it. It was well hidden, and had to be located with the help of old pictures from the St. Louis Park Historical Society and from Harold Hofstrand, a local surveyor. The Renners had to jack-hammer the floor to find it, then slide a well rig (without wheels or a tower) to get over the well. They cut a hole in the roof, then hired a crane to re-install the rig tower. They cleaned out the 945 ft. well and pumped it full of cement from the bottom up. A 4 inch casing was grouted in for use by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Rusty water was addressed in 1965 when two iron removal treatment plants were put in, one at 42nd and Zarthan, and one at Alabma and Cedar Lake Road.  The contractor was Peterson-Templin.

PARK FLUORIDATES

Park was the first community in the area to fluoridate its water.  On April 11, 1960, the City Council 5 to 2 to approved the purchase of equipment to add fluoride salt to the municipal water supply. The $7,226.50 contract for equipment was awarded to Wallace & Tiernan. The City Council meeting was jam-packed with citizens who were both for and against the measure. In those days it was common to hear the charge that fluoridation – put in the water to strengthen teeth – was a “communist plot.” Other possible uses were to "poison the public, get rid of waste materials at a profit, and unlawful foistering of medication upon the people." Speaking for the measure were Dr. Robert Green of the St. Louis Park Medical Center, dentist Dr. Walter Johnson, Dr. Jordan from the Minnesota Department of Health, and a representative of the Jaycees.  The equipment, some of which had to be made to order, was to be installed at seven municipal well sites: Idaho and 29th (2); Natchez and 41st (well no. 4), Wyoming and 34th; Zarthan and 42nd; Louisiana and Cedar Lake Road, and Lancaster Ave. and 16th.

Charles Friedheim came before the City Council and requested permission to place an antenna on a city water tower.  The Council voted no, but it turned out that the Minneapolis Gas Co. had one, the city attorney was instructed to negotiate a lease, and the city manager was told to develop a policy.

The 1.5 million gallon reservoir near the intersection of Yosemite and Vermont was put into operation in September 1963. It was built by Minneapolis Tank and Manufacturing, and necessitated the removal of the house at 4231 Yosemite.  Property was also purchased from Mrs. Anne Spencer, 4349 Brookside, for $3,000.

Mead Well Drilling was working 24 hours a day to dig well #11, to the distress of the neighbors, who complained to the City Council and got them to cut it down.

In 1981, Tom Renner retired from E.H. Renner and Sons, and his brother Eddie retired two years later. The firm is now owned and operated by the twin sons of Tom Renner, Roger E. and Raymond T. Renner. It is the largest water well drilling business in the State in Minnesota.

In May 1981, the city announced that it would like to sell Park's first water tower, built in 1932.  It was located at 37th and Brunswick, which was convenient for all the Central Jr. High kids who constantly changed the name of the City to St. Louis Bark.  The tower held 100,000 gallons, and too many instances of overflowing led to its shutdown two years earlier.  The well beneath the tower had been closed for 30 years.  The tower was primarily used as an antenna for a civil defense radio operation that met in the building beneath the tower.  Plans were to sell the structure to Color Ad, a nearby business; $400 for the land, with the company dismantling the structure. Follow-up information is scarce, except that the structure was torn down in 1983.

In 1982, the City hooked up to Plymouth’s water system to provide water for the Shelard area of St. Louis Park.

In 1983, a new well was completed at a cost of over $400,000. The well had to be drilled to meet some unique specifications so that contamination from aquifers close to the surface would not reach the well.

The water tower behind Lilac Way was dismantled in November 1994. At first, redevelopment plans worked around it, thinking it was too expensive to take down. It was to be replaced with a one million gallon tower located in the Belt Line Industrial Park south of Highway 7 and east of Highway 100.


The following is an attempt to list St. Louis Park's water towers and wells.  We are working on filling in the holes.  Nomenclature isn't clear and there may be duplications.
 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.