The Quest for Water at Temperance and Mercer
Developer D. T. Denny is drilling deep into the ground of North Seattle, hoping to tap an artesian aquifer to secure water for his property.
D. T. Denny is sinking an artesian well in the grounds surrounding his residence at the corner of Temperance and Mercer streets, and is so confident of striking an artesian stream that he is prepared to go to a depth of 2,000 feet. The well is now down to a depth of about 140 feet, having been drilled through a stratum of blue clay after the surface soil was passed, and is now in a soft sandstone rock. A stream of water flows into the well through a hose and passes out at holes near the point of the drill. Thus a stream is continually flowing from the well, carrying off in solution the material removed by the drill. It is expected that water will be struck at a depth of about 500 feet.
“He is so confident of striking an artesian stream that he is prepared to go to a depth of 2,000 feet.”
This reflects the early, self-sufficient infrastructure efforts of Seattle's founding families, like the Denny family, who played a massive role in shaping the city's geography. It stands in contrast to modern municipal water management, showcasing a time when individual landowners were effectively their own water utility companies.
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