The Spring at Small Farms Oral History Project
https://iusbarchives.omeka.net/exhibits/show/spring-at-small-farms/home
Driving down Chase Street, heading south of 35th Avenue in Gary, Indiana, you can easily miss a roadside artesian well that has been flowing for close to a century. This small spring has had a large role to play in the communities that surrounded it. For almost three decades, from the 1950s through the 70s, it supplied drinking water to residents in the communities of Small Farms and Black Oak. During that period, those rural neighborhoods were without municipal services and relied on shallow private wells which were easily contaminated. The area’s water table was also compromised by an EPA Superfund site nearby. The artesian well drew from a different aquifer and was not affected. The spring is still in use today by those who need or prefer its waters.
This collection includes fifteen oral histories, photographs, and archival material which highlight different aspects and perspectives on the spring’s history. It also includes narratives about the Black Oak Spring, another publicly-accessed well that was once located about a mile due west of the Chase Street spring.
Photo: Chase Street spring in the Summer. Taken on July 10, 2018 in Gary, Indiana.
This project has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanties, and supported by the Calumet Heritage Partnership, the IUSB Center for a Sustainable Future, and the Environmental Studies Program at Saint Mary’s College.
Kentucky Springs: Narratives on Localized Water Knowledge, Community and Stewardship
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt72ng4gqd7b?view=gallery
A series of oral histories about roadside springs in Kentucky, created through a 2016 Kentucky Oral History Commission Project Grant with the support of Western Kentucky University. Historically, community roadside springs were used before public water systems were implemented, providing a critical source of water for travelers, or for those who did not have private access to a reliable water source. These natural resources, which can be found throughout the state, are surviving remnants of the agricultural public commons and often mark very early human settlements. They are filtered naturally and in some cases have been flowing for upwards of a century. Today, even with the presence of municipal water systems, many people still gather water from springs. The project examines the role these water supplies have played in local history; factors that support the continued public use of springs; understanding how community springs are maintained, and exploring how a spring’s role in creating community has changed over time. Counties included are Allen, Barren, Edmonson, Estill, Hart, Lee, Madison, Menifee, Monroe, Powell, and Warren.
Photo: Moser (Briscoe) Spring, Powell County, KY
