Waldo Water Tower

Constructed in 1920, the Frank T. Riley Memorial is more commonly known as the Waldo Water Tower. Riley was a publisher and the landowner of what is now Tower Park at 75th and Holmes Road, and it was later decided to name the tower in his honor. This monolithic structure was constructed to help the surrounding Waldo community sustain water pressure. Using one of the most important building innovations of the early twentieth-century, steel-reinforced concrete, this water tower became one of the largest standpipes of its kind when it was placed in service. The tower was renovated in 1939 and operated until 1957. The concrete structure remains a local landmark and has been the centerpiece of Tower Park since its creation in 1944.

David Waldo purchased the farmland in this area in 1841, and by the late 19th century, it had grown into a thriving urban area with many businesses. Known as Waldo in recognition of the former landowner, the neighborhood was a stop along the Dodson line, a small interurban railroad that connected Martin City and other communities to the former community of Dodson centered on 85th and Prospect. Waldo surrounding neighborhoods were annexed by Kansas City in 1909 and the community continued to grow. With growing population came increased demand for water, and with one of the highest elevations in the city, Waldo residents faced periods with little or no water pressure given their distance from the Tuttle Creek Pumping Station. 

In 1919, the city purchased land for $14,000 from Kansas City publisher Frank T. Riley (1873-1920) and sought bids for a standpipe in hopes to solve the pressure issue. The winning design was created by Tifft Construction Company of Buffalo and was built by Kansas City's Finton Construction Company. The tower was completed in March 1920 at a cost totaling $68,050 and remains one of the largest reinforced concrete standpipes ever constructed.

Experiments for using steel-reinforced concrete started in England in the 1830s, but methods standardizing the construction techniques were not standardized until 1916 when the Joint Committee on Concrete and Reinforced Concrete published their recommendation. The committee was created in 1904 for this purpose owing to the recognition that reinforced concrete could support numerous building projects, including reservoirs and dams. 

With a capacity of one million gallons, this castle-like water tower is 110 feet tall with eighteen-inch walls and an interior diameter of forty feet, on top of a 56-foot diameter concrete base. The castle-like appearance was completed by adding a 23-foot ornamental structure at the top of the tower with 12 pilasters, each with an arched window opening, and a frieze with cavetto moulding and shield-shaped brackets. The standpipe was constructed using slip forms, in which the concrete walls were poured into for fourteen continuous days, as newly mixed concrete was placed upon the already poured layers. As a notable feature, the only joint in the structure is where the shaft meets the base, which was filled with hot asphalt intended to prevent seepage of water. The asphalt did not seal completely and as a result, the inside of the standpipe started leaking just days after operations started. The filler had cracked due to the temperature of the water, so, with fears of future freezing temperatures, the tower was drained and cleaned as extensive waterproofing methods began. There was no further leakage and the tower solved Waldo's water pressure problems as the large tower held enough water to always offer sufficient pressure, even during times of heavy use. 

A pumping station and a ten million gallon reservoir designed by Black and Veatch was added in 1939. In 1944, a few years after expansion, a 15-acre public park was created on the surrounding land, suitably named Tower Park, before the water tower was decommissioned in 1957. Today, the park offers a playground, walking trail, picnic shelters, and baseball diamonds, while the pumping station is still active and maintained by Kansas City Parks and Recreation. In addition, the fire and water departments, as well as private companies, use the many radio antennas situated on top of the tower. 

The tower has been a Waldo landmark for generations, and older residents still recall a tragedy that shocked the community sixty years ago. On August 30, 1962 police and firefighters were called to the location. Days earlier, two neighborhood boys were climbing the tower and discovered a body inside, at the bottom of the shaft. With fears of being reprimanded for trespassing, they told only their friends, one of whom told her mother who reported the findings. Since the standpipe was no longer in use, there were only a few feet of rainwater inside. After hours of scrutinous retrieval, authorities identified the body as James Everett “Jim” Royse (1942-1961). The young man who had been reported missing since November 25, 1961, two days after Thanksgiving the prior year. According to the coroner's report, the exact cause of death was unknown, and because of the 135-foot fall, all tissues were destroyed except bones so it is not known whether Jim was pushed or accidentally fell. Recovery operations required using a jackhammer to create a hole, and signs of that operation can still be seen on the West side of the tower’s base.

Morgan, Joanne. Memorials, Find a Grave. October 20th 2012. Accessed November 15th 2021. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99269029/james-everett-royse.

Missour SP Waldo Water Tower, National Register. Accessed November 15th 2021. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63819260.

History, Waldo KC. Accessed November 15th 2021. https://www.waldokc.org/about/history/.