“What happened to the Springs?” “Restore the water bar!” “Why can’t we try the water anymore?” Have you asked or wondered these same things? Unfortunately, times are different now than they were when Excelsior was at its height as a “natural health oasis”. Friends of the Wells (FOTW) hopes to bring a little bit of that historical time back!
Back then, there were over 40 different well sites in downtown Excelsior Springs. There were four varieties of mineral waters bottled and served: Siloam, Regent, Sulph-Saline and Soterian. Today, many of the well sites are on private properties, however, the City still has ten on public property, though not all are still accessible.
This is where Friends of the Wells comes in! The committee has determined the first step in returning the waters is to test the mineral content that exists currently. Testing the wells involves emptying them completely, which is a costly endeavor. That’s why the committee is focusing on two wells to start, the Soda (located behind the Hall of Waters) and Lithia (Lithia Landing by Willow Spring Mercantile). One of the wells is over one thousand feet deep, so special hoses are needed and are being ordered. As of now a date has not been set for emptying the wells.
In addition to the well restoration project, the Crystal Lithia pavilion on Saratoga Street was recently damaged during a storm. FOTW President Dennis Hartman has reached out to Excelsior Springs Job Corps to see if the Carpentry students can help fix it.
For more information about FOTW you can visit their website and you can visit their booth at the upcoming Waterfest. FOTW will have little rubber ducks available for donations as well as any project updates at their booth. Meetings for FOTW are on an as needed basis, follow the FOTW facebook page for meeting announcements.
Now, the next time you hear someone asking why there isn’t water in the Hall of Waters anymore, you can let them know about Friends of the Wells. Donations are always accepted on the FOW website! It takes a community, and we know this community cares about restoring the history of our waters.
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