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Power Plant Steam

This image is of the Power Plant on the University of Kansas campus. As the campus grew the number of buildings requiring heat and electricity called for increased production of energy. To meet these needs a new plant was built in 1922 at a cost of $290,000. The building was the fifth power plant constructed at KU, and similar in design to many public structures in the 1920's.

 

Since the mid 1950s the University has purchased electricity instead of producing it with steam. Water is converted to steam beneath the structure and sent through steam tunnels on campus, some dating to the 1880's.

 

A 252-foot smokestack, which stood for over sixty years, was replaced by two smaller stacks (seen in this photo) in 1987. The steam whistle remains, a KU tradition since 1912.

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Uploaded on January 30, 2016
Taken on December 30, 2015