Old Water

Much of my artwork these days focuses on DIRT and all its geological, historical, and connection to place. Despite all this, dirt usually holds very little regard in our day to day lives. In western society, water is yet another natural resource that is often overlooked (unless you live in the west of course) since it is piped directly into our houses.

The source of water can be analyized many ways and the source of Memphis' water and significance is what I have thought about for quite sometime.

Most Memphians know that our water comes from artesian wells below the city but I doubt that many know that the discovery of this source, its quality and abundance is quite literally the reason way Memphis is Memphis.

"Memphis’ prime location along the Mississippi River was one of the reasons for its early success, but it also contributed to the city’s first failure. The city didn’t enjoy the sanitary conditions that it does today and much of the area was prone to flooding, which led to the breeding of mosquitoes. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1873,

5,000 cases of “yellow jack” were reported, and more than 2,000 deaths. At the start of the summer, the city's population was 40,000 citizens, and 25,000 left before the quarantine two months earlier. Five years later, the epidemic returned stronger than ever and nearly wiped out the entire city. More than 17,600 cases were reported, and 5,100 people perished from the disease. Those who were able fled the city, leaving behind a catastrophic economic situation that forced the city into bankruptcy. Memphis surrendered its charter and was reduced to a state-taxing district in 1879."

"In 1883, the Bohlen-Huse Machine and Lake Ice Company began experimental drilling for ice production, but had poor results. Then, in May 1887, the company’s well on Court Street “suddenly gushed forth clear, cool, good-tasting water” at a depth of 354 feet." The discovery of this well literally changed Memphis from being known as the one of the most filthy cities in the United States to a sanitary leader.

The location of the historical marker is at the corner of Court St. and Danny Thomas Blvd. (which is just outside the boundaries of the EDGE by one block).

This artesian well (known as the Mississsippi Empayment) turned out be massive and many states and counties pump water from it but the well is deepest just below Memphis.

We get our water from the Memphis Sands Aquifer which is nearly 350 feet beneath downtown Memphis and approximately 850 feet thick. There are two additional aquifers below that we have not yet accessed.

SO here is the crazy thing.... The water Memphians drink right now first hit the soil when Jesus walked the earth thousands of years ago!

This literally blows my mind especially when when these days the most we hear about water in the news is about the very serious water issues facing California and other western states.

We are beyond lucky in Memphis and I find it ridiclous when people insist on drinking bottled water here. Water is our life force and in my book should be remembered and cherished with as much emphasis as Elvis Presley's home place, the site of MLK's assignation, or the other historical moments in Memphis' history. None of those moments would have been possible had this water source not been discovered.

While a corner of Civic Center Plaza downtown is dedicated to the significance of our artesian wells, the marker for the site of the discovery of the wells is so insignificant and can and does go with little attention drawn to it.

Hmmmmmmm.........