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Located at the intersection
of U.S. 50 and 77 Highways, our water tower has been a widely-recognized
landmark for Florence for many years.
When visiting with people who have traveled the highways through
Kansas, they most always readily recall the
water tower and the "99.96% Pure Spring Water."
Estimated to stand 110' tall and to hold approximately
85,000 gallons, the water tower was built in 1887 by C. O. Johnson,
a stone contractor, and water lines were laid in Florence. A
large well was dug on the east side of the Cottonwood River.
The site of the well would have been at about the end of 7th
Street. It was really a large cistern about 20' across and had
a roof over it. Water seeped from the river into the well, where
it was allowed to settle. A stone pumphouse was located nearby,
and by steam power the water was pumped out of the well (or
cistern) to the water tower, the same one in use today. There
was no sewage system in 1887, and with the growth of Florence
as the years went by, some steps had to be taken to obtain water
free from drainage into the river. This led to the arrangement
made to have water brought into the water tower from what we
now call the
"City Springs."
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