History

During the 1890s the development of a new elevated water tank transformed the elevated water storage field, introducing new concepts into the design of these structures. By 1905 the elevated tank was the preferred structure throughout the United States.

The  installation of the water tower played an integral part in the development of Oshkosh from a village to a prosperous community in the early days of this Great Plains settlement.  The Oshkosh Water Tower served the town successfully for ninety-eight years and is a fine example of the 1920’s “tin man” type steel, elevated water towers that sprang up all over the Great Plains. With new technology, the early water towers are being replaced, leaving very few original towers standing. The “tin man” tower is a fine representation of an early twentieth-century structure and hence has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.