Water tower preservation underway at Bonanzaville
A crew from Industrial Builders, Inc. volunteered manpower and the use of their equipment to help lower the barrel of the water tower located at Bonanzaville's Pioneer Village to the ground as preservation of the water tower got underway last week. As part of the preservation process, the water barrel will be scraped down and painted, and the stays encircling the barrel will be tightened. The roof will be redone in cedar shake shingles to match the water tower's original shingles.
Rich Asleson, Bonanzaville's facilities manager, is excited about getting started on the project. He hopes to have the roof repairs and shingling done by spring, and the barrel painted as soon as it is warm enough. If all goes as planned, the barrel will be lifted and set back in place on the frame of the tower by early spring.
The water tower, which was among one of the first pieces moved to the Pioneer Village, once belonged to Northern States Power Company (now Xcel Energy), and was originally located at their power plant on Broadway.
Asleson, along with the Bonanzaville staff, is very appreciative of the community's support and the people who have been contributing to this project, including Industrial Builders Inc. for their time, equipment, and manpower; Xcel Energy for money for supplies; Duane Rogne, shingles; and Froggie 99.9 for helping pay for the Bonanzaville logo that will be placed on the side of the barrel.
If you are interested in helping with the water tower renovation project, contact Asleson or Bruce Whitmarsh at 282-2822.
