About
About this project
The website shares people's oral histories and photographs of the Chase Street artesian well, a roadside spring located in Gary, Indiana.
A brief history of public springs
Before the advent of municipal water systems, public springs were a critical source of water for travelers, or for those who did not have access to a reliable water supply. They were considered part of the public commons, but that does not mean they were not claimed as private property. In the United States, springs were often central to the claims colonizers made on the land.
The state of Indiana once contained hundreds of springs in the public commons. Today there are very few public springs still in use. Project scholar Kay Westhues has documented 26 springs that are “officially” public (which means they are regularly tested by an agency such as the local Health Department), and several more that are on private property and informally accessed by local residents. The Chase Street spring is significant because it is still flowing and used by the public for drinking water.
Our research methodologies
Oral histories are a great way to learn about history from people who experienced it. Talking with people who used the spring helps us to understand how it has survived as a public commons resource and the role it has played in people's lives.
Photographs were used as a form of visual note-taking, providing detail on how the appearance of the spring and its neighborhood changed over time and documenting the methods involved in collecting spring water. Images of project participants have also been included when available.
Archival research on land ownership, public policy, and historical springs in Lake County provided historical context for the project.
Project team
(Clockwise, L - R) Project director Kay Westhues, project intern Darby Harcourt (St Mary's College Environmental Studies Department; Fall 2019 semester), project intern Gabrielle Cretcher (Indiana University South Bend Sustainability Studies Program; Fall 2020 semester), Scott Shoger, Assistant Librarian, IUSB Archives and Special Collections and project intern Mara Faustina Nolan (IUSB Fall 2021 semester).
Project support
This collection of interviews and photographs is archived at Indiana University South Bend Special Collections. This project has been made possible through grants from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities and Women at IU South Bend, with the support of the Calumet Heritage Partnership, the IUSB Center for a Sustainable Future, and the Environmental Studies Program at Saint Mary's College.
Contact
If you have questions or comments on this content or about the history of the spring, please contact project scholar Kay Westhues at kwesthues@gmail.com. You can learn more about her work at kaywesthues.com.
Credits
Thank you to all the narrators who shared their stories for this project, including Tyrell Anderson, Geraldine Brooks, Exnar Burt-McIntosh, Johnny Burt, Arianne Campbell, David Castellanos, Chuck Hughes, Kristin Huysken, Betty Earline Jordan, Andrea Ledbetter, Judy Ledbetter, Ida L. Lloyd, Shirley Monroe, Pam Powers, Silas Sconiers, Connie Standifer, Reverend Terence Standifer, Steve Truchan, Dorothy Waters, Robert Waters, and Alma Wilkes.
Website text written by Kay Westhues and Mara Faustina Nolan. All photos were created by Kay Westhues unless noted.