Before the E-5 tornado decimated the small south central town of Greensburg, Kansas in 2007 the town’s claim to fame was that it was the home of the World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well. The construction of the well began in 1887 and cost about $45,000. The well would serve as Greensburg’s water supply and would provide water to the railroad companies for their steam powered trains. There were many different railroad companies that converged right around Kiowa County including, the Santa Fe and Rock Island companies. The well was constructed using day laborers hired for fifty cents to a dollar a day. The men worked in teams to dig the well and bring stone from the Medicine River which was located 12 miles south of Greensburg. After the well was dug the stone was put in place as the casing of the hole. The well’s construction was complete in 1888. It was 109 feet deep and 32 feet across. 3,000,000 people have visited the well since 1939 when it was opened for tourism. In 2008 the Greensburg Big Well was voted as one of the 8 wonders of Kansas. Also the federal government made the Big Well a National Historical Landmark in the 1970’s.
The small Big Well museum which is located directly south west to the opening of the well houses what used to be the world’s largest Pallasite Meteorite. The meteor which weighs in at approximately 1,000 pounds is now the second largest Pallasite Meteorite because a 1,400 pound meteorite was recently found in a nearby town.
If anyone does want to visit this historic site it will not cost you much, admission is only $3.
http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html
Zachary, its pretty cool to learn how the well was constructed. I have heard of the well in Greensburg, but never knew that a meteorite was another popular attraction in the small Kansas town. Also, it was sad to see the town completely destroyed in 2007; however, I am sure that all of the work to re-build the town “green” has put this tiny Kansas community back on the map.
-Veronica Mohr
The thought of digging a well by hand seems ridiculous today but it is so easy to forget that the technology of our time was inconceivable during this time. This blog reminded me of some fond memories visiting my grandparents in Wichita. They still have a well in their backyard but it was put out of use when running water became available. My Granddad was so proud of that thing. He dug it himself.
Looking back on past subjects covered in our class, I wished that we could have discussed more, the hard work ethic of the previous generation. Prof. Epps did recognize it in a few of the lectures, but it is easy for the rest of us to simply glance over the determination present in these Kansas communities throughout the 1800′s and all the way up, past the post-WWII movements.
M Canfield
My dad went out to Greensburg shortly after the tornado (he works for Emergency Management, which is basically the state version of FEMA), and I think he got to see the well.
The town was just decimated, though. He said he’d never seen anything like it.