View of Basham Reservoir.

ID: 416 ~ Source: Image courtesy of Andrew Feight, Ph.D., from the Scioto Historical Series, private collection, Friendship, Ohio. ~ Creator: Andrew Feight, Ph.D. ~ Date: 2018
This file appears in: Portsmouth’s Basham Hill Reservoir
View of Basham Reservoir.
© Andrew Feight (2018)

Remains of Basham Reservoir as seen from the southeast corner. Part of repair wall constructed after the 1915 collapse can be seen in the right side of the photo. The 1.6 million gallon replacement water tank seen on the left was built in 1990.

This file appears in: Portsmouth’s Basham Hill Reservoir

By Richard Duncan, PE
Portsmouth’s first water works plant was built in 1871 on the banks of the Ohio River. It was located in an area that is, today, just outside the floodwall behind Shawnee State University. That original water plant left much to be desired in terms…