It was early morning on Nov. 2, 1904, when a small neighborhood was quickly awakened by a loud noise and a ground shaking event. Many would survive, but nine did not. It was one of the worst disasters: the day the north wall of the reservoir came tumbling down.
A little background might be in order. In 1880 several local citizens got together and created the “Winston Water Company.” Stock was sold, and the company purchased 65 acres of land around Belo Pond (the former site of the Belo Iron Works & Foundry) on Peters Creek. There they built a pump house below the dam, using the water from Belo Pond as the power source. Water from two deep wells was then pumped uphill to the reservoir located on Trade Street near Eighth Street, the highest point in the city at that time. Gravity was then used to get water from the reservoir to all parts of the city.
The reservoir was 60 feet deep (20 feet below ground and 40 feet above ground) with walls built of brick and concrete. Rectangular in shape, it was an imposing structure.
Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection
Most of the Winston Water Company was privately owned, but when the initial stock sale failed to raise enough money, the city was offered the opportunity to purchase stock, which the Board of Alderman approved.
In 1885, the city of Winston was again approached by the Winston Water Company for another purchase of stock in the amount of $1,000 this time. The Board of Alderman agreed. This time the money raised went toward the purchase of a steam pump to help the company supply the town with water. In 1887, the town bought 200 additional shares of stock. It seemed no matter how hard the Winston Water Company tried, they were never able to make much of a profit.
In 1893, the Winston Water Company approached the city and offered to sell its stock to the city at par (meaning the lowest price the company will set the value of the stock). The alderman prepared a bill, “An Act to Enable the City of Winston to Own and Control the Winston Water Works,” which was ratified by the North Carolina General Assembly on March 3, 1893. Before everything could be finalized the City had to get the voters’ approval. A special election was held on June 21, 1893, and the city took controlling interest in the water works.
Here is what the city got when they bought the Winston Water Company: 64 3/4 acres of land around Belo Pond, two large wells with a reported daily water flow of 200,000 gallons, a water pump and fixtures with a capacity of 300,000 gallons per day, the brick reservoir on a lot fronting 100 feet on Eighth Street and running north for around 240 feet, 4 1/4 miles of water mains (4″ to 10″ pipes), 58 hydrants and 24 gate values all for the incredibly low price of $56,000 (in today’s money $1,992,671.29).
The city immediately started making improvements to the reservoir. Additional land was purchased for a water shed, bringing the total acreage to 72.19 acres. By adding a new pump house, additional water lines, and boilers, the entire water system received an overhaul, which ended up costing the city an additional $46,000.
Another improvement involved increasing of the thickness of the walls at the base of the reservoir to 6 1/2 feet and adding 14 feet to the height. Other sources say the increase in height was 10 feet and that 6 feet in length was added. This work cost the city a little over $12,000. Once the work was done, it was determined that the safest water fill level was 6 feet below the top of the wall.
As time went by, there were reports of leaks in the reservoir. With the population increase, there was some concern about the water supply not being able to keep up with demand. The age of the reservoir was starting to show.
The Western Sentinel Nov. 10, 1904
In 1902, it was determined that a new water system was needed. The city had grown, and the old water works could not keep up. A bond was passed, and work began on a new water plant that would include new pumps, boilers, an iron standpipe, construction of all necessary buildings to house equipment, and enlarging and extending pipelines within the city limits. They even built a home for the manager. The city wanted to construct a state-of-the-art system-first class all the way. The work was completed just weeks before tragedy struck.
On Nov. 1, 1904, it seems the old reservoir was still in use, and it was being supplied by the new pump station. The watchman on duty at the reservoir called the fireman at the station around 8:30 p.m. to tell them to stop pumping water to the reservoir because it was within 2 feet of the overflow pipe. The message was received, but something must have gone wrong because around 5:20 a.m. the north wall collapsed.
Winston-Salem Journal and Sentinel Nov. 14, 1965
Somewhere between 800,000 to 1.4 million gallons of water rushed through the neighborhood, killing nine people and seriously injuring others. Houses were swept away or demolished. As the water settled near Belo Pond and the railroad tracks, it looked to many like a large pond, and so the “Pond” neighborhood was born.
Miraculous escapes did happen. Mr. and Mrs. William Adams were carried away on their mattress, floating around 500 feet from their home and coming to a stop at the railway junction unhurt. The house John Jordan, age 15, was in had collapsed and part of the roof fell at an angle over his bed protecting him from the rest of the debris. Rescuers found him still asleep.
Images show the remaining walls and interior of the reservoir. Photographs from the Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection
Fire bells sounded, and by 6 a.m., the fire department was on the scene working to rescue and care for the victims. An emergency meeting of the Board of Alderman was held at 9 o’clock that morning.
March 23, 1906
After the meeting, the alderman announced the city would cover all costs of this tragedy. They would bury the dead, cover the medical bills and rebuild/repair the homes. It would be nice to think this was done out of a sense of decency, but some believe it was done to discourage victims and their families from suing the city. Several families did bring a lawsuit against the city in 1905, but it was settled out of court with the plaintiffs splitting $2,100 in damages.
The following nine victims were buried the next day.
Mrs. Martin Peoples, (Angelina Francisca Hine Burkhart Peoples). She was born in 1846 and married Francis Burkhart in 1879. They had two children. After the death of her first husband, Angelina married the widower Martin Peoples on May 13, 1890. They were living next door to the reservoir when their home collapsed, crushing Angelina and injuring her husband, Martin, and stepson Walter.
Mrs. Southern (Charlotte Louise). Both she and her grandson, Joe Henry Southern, age 14, were killed by the flood. Newspaper accounts say she had just moved to Winston from Greensboro the day before.
Miss. Selina Vogler. She was born in 1846 to Solomon and Rachel Vogler. Very little is known about her. No husband is listed in her probate records. She left everything to her siblings and their children.
Mrs. John Poe (Laura Ann Meredith Peoples Poe) and her 12-year-old daughter, Mary Caroline. Laura Ann married John Harper Poe in 1871. They had five children. John Poe was the janitor at the courthouse and had left for work just before the reservoir collapsed.
(Elizabeth) Octavia Bailey. Octavia had sent her daughter, Carrie Bell Bailey, to board with Wilson Walls. Walls ended up adopting and raising Carrie.
Lucille Malone. Very little is known about Lucille except that she was 8 at the time of her death. In 1905, the family sued the city and received $200. It is possible she was related to John and Lizzie Malone.
Caroline Martin. Newspapers simply list her as a young woman. It turns out there were two Caroline Martins in Winston at the time. One was single and worked as a laundress. The other Caroline was married to Abe Martin in 1895. It is not clear if Abe Martin is the same one injured in the flood, but Caroline’s probate records show Abe Martin as receiving money from the city.
The injured included Martin and Walter Peoples, Mrs. Jordan and her daughter, Abe Martin; Lizzie Malone, Alice Gray, William Stanley Southern, Mary Florence Southern, James Robert Southern, John H. Poe, Nettie Vance Griffith, Henry Edgar Griffith, and Mrs. Griffith.
The ruins of the reservoir were left standing for several years. They showed up for the last time on the Sanborn maps in 1912. What happened after this tragedy speaks to the strength and spirit of the neighborhood. It was reborn and until urban renewal changed the landscape, the Pond was a thriving neighborhood.
To find out more about the reservoir collapse and the Pond neighborhood, visit the North Carolina Collection.
Resources:
History of Government City of Winston-Salem, N.C. compiled by Robert W. Neilson, 1966.
Winston-Salem’s African American Neighborhoods: 1870-1950 by Langdon E. Oppermann, 1993.
Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org and Findagrave.com.
Newspaper articles found in the Winston-Salem Journal, Twin City Sentinel, The Western Sentinel, The Union Republican, The Concord Daily Tribune, The Weekly Star (Wilmington, NC), and The Morning Post (Raleigh, NC).
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.
Winston-Salem City Directories.
All photographs courtesy of the Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
North Carolina Collection 
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