Frisco Water Tower

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Click the above image for information on the Frisco Water Tower from LASR.NET

1885 “Frisco” Wooden Water Tower

Today “to our knowledge” this tower is the last remaining Frisco built wooden water tower of its kind in the USA.
Built in 1885 by the Frisco railroad, the tower provided water for many uses. Steam locomotive power, stationary boilers for Cooling ashes and cleaning, fire protection and other similar purposes around the engine house and station buildings all utilized this tower’s service.

The Tower is made of cypress construction and the water tank dimensions are 14’ high x 22’ in diameter. The tank is supported By a super structure of wooden legs that are 14’ tall.

The tower has a 50,000 gallon water capacity tank. It is covered by a 6 sided wood shingle roof. The tank is constructed by large saw cut and milled cypress staves bound by steel bands with nut and bolt fastenings.

Beaumont was one of the most important cattle shipping points in the Flint Hills during the first half of the 1900s. At one time, Beaumont had the largest stockyards equipped with electric lights, water and scales between Wichita and Springfield, Missouri.

Beaumont had stockyards that could handle 3,000 head of cattle at a time. When the cattle arrived by train the ranch cowboys took over to weigh and then count them out to pastures by horseback.