Our first cache named "Sky Liquid" was placed at the old water tower in Airdrie, Alberta. You've probably seen it as you drive past Airdrie on the Number 2 highway. We think these old relics are quite interesting and definitely give the towns of Alberta a distinctive look, so we plan on placing a few more at different locations and making "Sky Liquid" a series.
Description of Historic Place
The Gleichen Water Tower is an early twentieth-century structure situated on eight lots in the Town of Gleichen. The structure features a wood shingle-clad tank supported by riveted steel supports.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Gleichen Water Tower lies in its status as one of the few remaining examples of a municipal water tower, a once common landmark in Alberta communities.
Like many other early southern Alberta communities, Gleichen came into being as a result of the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR's) transcontinental line through the region in the early 1880s. Situated in the midst of several major CPR irrigation projects and north of the Blackfoot reserve, the community developed into a staging point for rail travel and a service centre for both settlers and Natives. Unlike many early settlements in the area, however, Gleichen was not located near a reliable source of water, nor was it slated for inclusion in an irrigation project. When the Town of Gleichen was incorporated in 1910 with a population of over 500, one of municipal council's first initiatives was to address the urgent need for a more sophisticated water and sewer system to serve its growing citizenry. The town contracted the Des Moines Bridge & Iron Company of Pittsburgh to construct a water tower in the community. Completed in 1911, the water tower served not only the people of Gleichen, but also the inhabitants of the Blackfoot reserve to the south. The Gleichen Water Tower remained in use until the 1970s. It remains a visually striking landmark and a reminder of the once essential role water towers played in the municipal infrastructure of many Alberta communities.
Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 2183)
There is parking right beside the water tower, and also a unique bison sculpture in the park as well. The cache is not meant to be a hard find, just please replace carefully or it could fall down and be hard to retrieve.
We hope you find these relics of a bygone era as interesting as we do!
