Water for Gotham tells the spirited story of New York's evolution as a great city by examining its struggle for that vital and basic element--clean water. Drawing on primary sources, personal narratives, and anecdotes, Gerard Koeppel demonstrates how quickly the shallow wells of Dutch New Amsterdam were overwhelmed, leaving the English and American city beleaguered by filth, epidemics, and fires. This situation changed only when an outside water source was finally secured in 1842--the Croton Aqueduct, a model for urban ...
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Water for Gotham tells the spirited story of New York's evolution as a great city by examining its struggle for that vital and basic element--clean water. Drawing on primary sources, personal narratives, and anecdotes, Gerard Koeppel demonstrates how quickly the shallow wells of Dutch New Amsterdam were overwhelmed, leaving the English and American city beleaguered by filth, epidemics, and fires. This situation changed only when an outside water source was finally secured in 1842--the Croton Aqueduct, a model for urban water supplies in the United States. As the fertile wilderness enjoyed by the first Europeans in Manhattan vanishes and the magnitude of New York's water problem grows, the reader is introduced to the plans of Christopher Colles, builder of the first American steam engine, and of Joseph Browne, the first to call for a mainland water source for this island-city. In this vividly written true-life fable of the "Fools of Gotham," the chief obstacle to the aqueduct is the Manhattan Company. Masterminded by Aaron Burr, with the complicity of Alexander Hamilton and other leading New Yorkers, the company was a ruse, serving as the charter for a bank--today's Chase Manhattan. The cholera epidemic of 1832 and the great fire three years later were instrumental in forcing the city's leaders to finally unite and regain New York's water rights. Koeppel's account of the developments leading up to the Croton Aqueduct reveals it as a triumph not only of inspired technology but of political will. With over forty archival photographs and drawings, Water for Gotham demonstrates the deep interconnections between natural resource management, urban planning, and civic leadership. As New York today retakes its waterfront and boasts famous tap water, this book is a valuable reminder of how much vision and fortitude are required to make a great city function and thrive.
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Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History to cart. $7.44, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History to cart. $7.46, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History to cart. $7.46, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Water for Gotham to cart. $18.75, like new condition, Sold by Argosy Book Store rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
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Fine in fine jacket. Illustrated. xiv + 355 pages, 8vo, blue cloth, d.w. Princeton: Princeton University Press, (2000). First Edition. A fine copy in a fine dust wrapper.
Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History to cart. $20.00, like new condition, Sold by Abacus Bookshop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Pittsford, NY, UNITED STATES, published by Princeton University Press.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 104x16x152; Stated first edition with full number line. Light shelf wear to boards and dust jacket. Binding square and tight. No highlighting, notation, or remainder marks. Thank you for supporting Last Word Books and independent bookstores.
Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History. Koeppel, Gerard T. to cart. $24.00, very good condition, Sold by Beach Bookshop & Video rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Myrtle Beach, SC, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
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Fine in Fine jacket. Size: 6x1x9; Hardcover with dust jacket. First Edition. 1st printing (complete number line). Clean and tight. No markings. Ships in a box. Ships from NYC.
Add this copy of Water for Gotham: a History to cart. $37.15, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Princeton University Press.
