An electric streetcar is pictured on the road. In 1889 the city built the reservoir on top of Kirkpatrick Hill on the site of Fort Casino just south of downtown Nashville. The reservoir was built with rock from the Meridian quarry and supplied water to the entire city. On 5 November 1912, a section of the reservoir wall collapsed, sending twenty-five million gallons of water into the neighborhood pictured in the foreground of this postcard, significantly damaging over twenty-five homes. The reservoir was repaired and re-opened to the public allowing residents to walk or bike along its walls. In 1917 the reservoir was closed to the public due to the outbreak of World War I and the fear that Germany might try to poison the city’s water supply if they had access to it.
