Well House
In the summer of 1867 four wells were dug on the Fort Hays grounds. The one before you serviced the post hospital. These wells provided limited quantities of water. Periodic contamination rendered the water undrinkable.
As a result Big Creek became the primary source of water, supplying 1,500 to 2,000 gallons per day. Water was distributed daily to barrels throughout the fort, but not in quantities large enough for firefighting emergencies. This was later resolved when windmills were built to pump water into tanks.
I would most urgently recommend, not only for this Post but as a general rule, the importance of a first class system of supplying water and conveying it in unlimited quantities to every building...
- Annual Inspection Report, June 30, 1879
Courtesy hmdb.org
