Elmer's Fountain
Heading east a few miles from Wallace, Idaho on
I-90, you briefly pass Elmer's Fountain on your right.
It takes frequent travel on that stretch for its awesome
folk beauty to penetrate your perception.
In the winter the fountain grows mushrooms of ice around
it.
If you want to stop, take the Gold Creek exit, and it's
right there.
Here's a view of the second fountain with the freeway
in the background:
From Zac Ward, here's a brief history of the fountain, slightly edited:
Elmer
Almquist who built these fountains was a silver miner, resident of
Mullan. He was part owner of the Sunshine mine and he died in March
1986. His brother Harry Almquist (died March 2007) lived in
Murray ID where there is a museum he and Walt, the third brother
founded. Harry is my wife’s grandfather.
Arnold was Elmer’s best friend and the original owner of the land the
fountains are on. For years it was known as Arnold’s Fountain. Soon after
Elmer’s death the name was changed to Elmer’s Fountain.
It's clearly
a folk construction from mining parts. Although the piping in itself
is not particularly attractive, the gracefully sprinkling spray is very
nice. It's apparent that these fountains (3 really) are fed by either an
artesian spring or a pipe up the nearby Gold Creek. In either case,
the ingenuity it took to craft these fountains to continue for years has
to be admired.
As you may read in the cement, this is Arnold's fountain.
Although clearly designed for washing hands and taking a drink, nothing
is known by me of the quality or source of the water, but I got this email
from someone visiting this website:
"I first saw Elmer's (Arnold's) fountain when I
moved to Idaho In 1956. I have been drinking water from that Artesian well
ever since. I don't live close to the fountain anymore but as a long haul
trucker I go by it regularly and fill all the plastic water bottles I keep
in my truck. It is undoubtedly the best tasting water I've had in my lifetime
(62 years). Sincerely Chuck Martin "
There is also on the site an ore train car, a picnic table,
and a small dog house sized log cabin.
Sondahl.com
