Stanton moves its water tower
The “Coffee Pot” has a new home.
Stanton’s iconic coffee pot water tower was moved last week to its new location on the grounds of the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center. The move was accomplished in cooperation by Midwest Crane Service of Omaha and Bruce Construction of Red Oak, assisted by City of Stanton employees.
Dozens of Stanton citizens came out to watch the move, which took all of Thursday and most of Friday to accomplish.
“Demo is difficult, and we have to take it slow and easy,” said Mark Rasmussen of Midwest Crane Service. “We pretty much have to guess at weight. For example, you’ve probably painted that tower many times. People don’t think paint weighs anything, but it can add up to a lot.”
Ken Bruce of Bruce Construction agreed.
“The unknown is the problem. Slow is the way to go,” he said. When the tower was finally lifted, they had their answer: 27,200 pounds, according to the crane’s built-in scale. It was then placed on a flatbed truck and made a slow journey down Thorn Street, before stopping for the night, in the middle of the street. While there, it was serenaded by Stanton’s “Skona Maj” singers, welcoming in “Beautiful May” in the traditional Swedish way on the last day of April. Finally, on Friday, it was hoisted, in stages, onto its prepared pads at the Heritage Center.
The water tower, originally constructed in 1914 and made into a “Swedish Coffee Pot” in 1971 by the addition of a handle, spout, and a Swedish floral design, was finally taken out of service in December 2014. A new, larger tower had been constructed in 2001, but the old tower remained in service for several years because some parts of the city were still using water lines and joints constructed in the 1920s, which were too old to handle increased water pressure. With the completion of a $1.2 million revamp of that water system in 2014, the old tower’s work was done.
The question then became after 100 years of service, what to do with the old tower? Simply dismantling it would have cost the city nothing, as contractors had agreed to take it down for the price of the scrap metal. But that was unthinkable to many Stanton residents, alumni and friends.
The coffee pot is the symbol for this little town of Swedish heritage, a tourist attraction featured in national publications and the Denver International Airport and a source of civic pride. So a fundraising campaign began to “Save our Tower.”
Moving and placing the Pot cost about $30,000, which cost is being borne by the City. Next it will need to be repaired, sandblasted and repainted. The cost of this restoration estimated at $70,000, and subsequent maintenance will be paid for by voluntary contributions. About half of the initial amount has been raised so far.
Stanton will celebrate “Homecoming 2015” this summer, and those who return for this every-five-year event will have a chance to see the coffee pot up close and personal.
“I’ll bet a whole lot of people are going to be really glad we saved it,” said Sheila Mainquist, board member of the Stanton Historical Society.