This year, Denver Water is celebrating its 100th anniversary — a milestone that will usher in a new century of innovation, foresight and commitment to you, our customers.

We’ve seen and done a lot in the last century, much of which has been captured in photographs. So, throughout the year, we will hand-pick a series of historical photos that help share different parts of Denver Water’s storied history.

This month, we’re taking you back to 1896 — a time before Denver Water even existed. It was a chilly winter day at Lake Cheesman (what would later become Cheesman Reservoir) and crews were working on the foundation of a log cabin that would become the construction headquarters for the Cheesman Dam project.

Because of the frigid temperatures, workers had to burn the rock-hard ground to thaw it before digging down with shovels. Such was life before modern equipment came into the picture to lend a hand.

Cheesman Dam was completed in 1905 and purchased by Denver Water in 1918, the year Denver Water was born.