Gary's Other Artesian Well: The Black Oak Spring
At the turn of the 20th century, there were several public springs in Lake and Porter counties. Spring Hill Grove in St. John, Knotts Spring Water in Porter, and the Black Oak Spring in Black Oak were popular picnic sites and local landmarks. During this period, their waters were also bottled and sold by the Hammond Pure Water Company.
The Black Oak Spring was located approximately a mile due west of the Chase Street well. Until it was closed in the 1960s, the spring was located in the front yard of Dorothy Waters' childhood home. Dorothy and her husband Robert share their family history and memories of the spring below.
Dorothy Waters: "He would sell for $1 a bottle"
The Black Oak spring was located on the property of Dorothy Waters' childhood home in Black Oak. Waters says that her grandfather (who built the house in 1926) sold the water from the well to a bottling company in Chicago in exchange for building a new shed.
Found at 03:13 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Dorothy Waters and Robert Waters: "It was there for people to come and use"
Dorothy Waters' childhood home in the Black Oak neighborhood was located on the same property as the Black Oak spring, an artesian well that was open to the public. Waters says, "Anybody that wanted to come and get water from in front of the house was welcome to do that." She says that this reflects the generous nature of her community.
Found at 01:20 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
Dorothy Waters: "I can remember as a girl, seeing pennies there"
Dorothy Waters remembers that when people from the neighborhood collected water from the spring in her family's front yard, they sometimes left pennies on a tree stump to thank them for providing the water to the public.
Found at 10:45 in the interview transcript | Listen to the complete interview
