Wooden Railway Water Tower - Barry's Bay, ON - Water Towers on Waymarking.com

Barry's Bay's first wooden water tower was build in 1894 to service the hundreds of steam trains that came through Barry's Bay during the early part of the the late nineteenth and early twenty century. The current tower was built in 1943 and restored in 2000 as a Millenium Project.
(source: https://www.heritagewalk.ca/barrysbay/)

A sign located at the tower tells of it's history and restoration:

ONTARIO'S LAST WOODEN RAILWAY WATER TOWER

Water towers played a vital role in the operation of the early railway system. Steam (before diesel) locomotives required water for their boilers to provide power to the wheels. Water was pumped into a large wooden water tank, and through gravity filled the locomotive's boiler. Barry's Bay's first wooden water tower was built at 984 ft about sea level in 1894, the same year as the railway station. This first water tower was located next to the railway station, and literally at the front door of Frank Stafford's General Store, as shown in one of the photos. The water pumping plant was located at the creek below the present Dixie Lee restaurant and was managed by section foreman Benjamin Kish, who lived in the house that still stands at the east end of Kelly Street. This water tower was dismantled about 1943 and a new one constructed beside a "Y" in the tracks, which was used for locomotive turnaround. The move to the new location followed many years of objections to the water closet at the water tank, which was considered dangerous to the health of the public. The last steam train left Barry's Bay in the mid 1950s and ended the era of the water tower The bottom photo shows the water tower with railway tracks leading to it.

Many years later, a dedicated group of local residents formed a restoration committee to bring the water tower and railway station back to their former glory days. They held their first committee meeting on March 20, 1989, and John Yakabuski became the first Chairman, with Roy Woermke replacing him in February, 1990. The $100,000 restoration was completed with the combined help of grants, numerous fund raising events, personal and business contributions and countless hours of volunteerism. The historic significance of the railway is preserved in the railway station and in the restored water tower, which stands in Water Tower Park.

The gentlemen sitting on Charlie & Dan Murray's delivery truck in the photo from l-r are: Ernie Donaldson; Ambrose Sullivan; Thomas Donaldson;Thomas Skuce; Harold Skuce (hidden wearing hat); Walton Skuce and Wesley Donaldson.

Barry's Bay is very proud to be home of Ontario's last wooden railway water tower.

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