City Park - Old Cisterns

SQUARE

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 10/4/2014 at 08:55:14

RECENT RAINS UNCOVER OLD CISTERN IN CITY PARK

A deep hole in the northwest corner of the park which has appeared since the recent rains has been causing quite a bit of speculation as to how it came there, but those of the older residents have solved the mystery and a very few of the oldest residents will doubtless remember that back in the 60s during the Civil war when Mt. Pleasant was but a tiny village, two large cisterns were built one on the northwest corner of the square and the other on the southeast corner. These cisterns were built especially as a fire protection, at that time the only means of fire fighting was by bucket brigade and these cisterns furnished the water for such times as was necessary.

Later when the present water system was installed and more modern methods of fire fighting was adopted the old cisterns were no longer of use, so it was decided to close them. Instead of filling them, they were covered by board and a thick layer of earth was placed over this. For years the old cistern has remained undisturbed, but year by year the boards have become weakened by the heavy weight and rotted by the dampness until they finally gave way causing a huge cavern to be made.

The dimensions of this cavern are about twenty feet deep and twenty feet wide. Men are at work today filling in this old cistern and soon it will be a matter of history again.

[Undated newspaper clipping, "Mt. Pleasant News"]