The Old Rotan Water Tower, Jo Hariman

Dad ran into Dub Underwood at Dairy Queen the other day and Dub had an old calendar with a bunch of pictures on it. Dad got some copies for me, so I thought I would share with you.

I can't tell if this is a painting or a photo, but the artist is listed as Jo Hariman. Here is the caption for this print:

Rotan Pioneer Water System

• The first attempt to obtain water for the town of Rotan was made around 1908 when Mr. Akins and "Big Boy" Kyle, local cafe owners, drilled a well where the swimming pool is now located. Their intentions were to make a lake and the dam at the south end of the Little League Field was built to contain water. This well was 25,000 feet deep, and in reaching water, they also struck oil. Little was known about oil at that time and there was no market for it. As the water was unfit to drink due to the oil content, the well was abandoned and later capped, but not before it had made quite a little pond. Finally, in 1909, a well was drilled on Tom Green hill at the site of the present water tower. Gyp water was struck and the pictured stand and tank was erected over the well. The stand was of wood and was approximately twenty feet high. The tank was about twenty feet in diameter and about thirty feet high. It was made of corrugate steel. The tractor shown was a wood burning steam engine and it served a dual purpose. It was used to drill the well, then to pump the water into the tank. The stockyards were at the far west end of town and there was no water there. The cattle, which were waiting to be shipped by rail, were driven through town twice daily to the well to be watered. T. M. Green managed the first water system. This tower and tank served Rotan until 1920, when the tower that is now standing was erected.

I believe the calendar this information came from was produced in the 1970's. This article captures a little of everything in the history of Rotan.