The water tower, a landmark of Troudale's old town skyline, once served the Bissinger Wool Pullery, a firm built in 1920 to process the hides of winter-killed livestock and sheep. The workers at the pullery removed the wool from the hides before sending them on to be tanned.
The Bissinger Company, which employed about 100 workers, made Ripley's Believe It or Not column when a load of hides arrived with a kitten buried in the middle of the stack. The animal, workers said, was flattened and spread-eagles, but alive. Employees massaged the tiny cat until it learned to walk and play. It became the factory mascot and lived to a ripe old age.