The Sprague Well
Historical Landmark
The Sprague Well, believed to be the first drilled artesian well in Bayfield County, was completed at 119 feet 8 inches in April, 1903 by Monroe H. Sprague at the mill office of the Akeley–Sprague Lumber Co. Flow from the 4 inch casing was rated at 224 gal. min. – “so free of minerals it was piped directly to the saw mill boilers.” In 1956 the flow was measured at 54 gal. min. from a one inch pipe and tested 104 ppm total mineral content. Long a fresh water treat for Washburn residents, it remains a landmark of early lumbering days on Chequamegon Bay.
Marker can be reached from the intersection of 8th Avenue West and Lakeview Drive.
Courtesy hmdb.org
