Hand dug wells....

[Iplayfarmer]

... One time is fun but I couldn't imagine doing it every day...

Helps you understand why they didn't take baths very often back in the good ole' days

 

[Redneck in training]

That looks like it's sleeved with sections of a large diameter pipe of some sort.

I've heard with those you just basically dig under them so they keep dropping down and stack another on top Don't know if it's true, sounds like doing it that way there's no cave in danger, still a danger of getting a pail of dirt on your head though.

I'm not claustrophobic, I like tunnels and caves and other sub terrainien spaces, but being down there would feel helpless, be a good acid test.

JB.

That is exactly how it was done in the place I grew up at. The pipes had between 3 to 5 Ft diameter and were about 18" tall. They were made from steel reinforced concrete.

 

[Redneck in training]

In most States, there are well defined rules and regulations regarding abandoned wells, drilled or hand dug.. they are dangerous on many points as has been pointed out. Kids love these things!
If you have one on your property, it wise to refinish around the well to prevent animals and kids from falling into the well. Make certain there is no possibility of surface water from entering the well, which is a major cause of pollution.
Nobody needs to hear a sermon on this. Common sense dictates what should be done.

I used to grow up in a place that used to be silver, lead and tin mining town about 400 -500 hundred years ago. The hills around were full of abandoned shafts. We used to play in those which terrified our mothers. I remember our neighbor was digging hand dug well. One day they came to continue digging and the ladder was gone. The bottom of the well dropped to abandoned shaft overnight.

 

[dmccarty]

We ran across a few hand dug wells when we were looking to buy land. One was at a farmhouse that was built around 1900-1920. Well away from the house was a hand dug well. Our guess was that at some time prior to 1900ish there was an older house near the well. There was an old family grave yard near the well that had hand carved lettering in sandstone head stones. The carver suffered from dyslexia and/or was not well educated. Given that the headstone was from the 1700's I would guess not well educated. They had picked a very pretty spot to live but it was in the middle of now where. Still kinda is. :thumbsup:

The well had a clay pipe that was about four feet above grade. There was quite a bit of water in the pipe. I have noticed those clay pipes here and there over the years.

Another property we looked at one time had two mobile homes up near the road both with drilled wells. Farther behind them was an older house from at least 1900ish. It had a hand dug well 20-30 feet deep. No water. No cover at all. Coon or Possum skeleton at the bottom. We mentioned this to the sellers who where to young guys buying land for the timber, selling the trees, and then selling the land. I doubt they filled up that well.

My FIL retired from the NC DOT said that if they found an open well they had to fill it with concrete. That seemed expensive.

Later,
Dan