County Agent Helps Bring Water to Farm Homes, 1939

The following article, written by J.P. Leagans, was published in the Taylorsville Times, Jan. 5, 1939.

All of our farmers and citizens of Alexander would be interested in a splendid news article by the Agricultural Extension Editor at State College on the agricultural progress in our county during the year appearing in the Sunday issue of the Raleigh News and observer on December 18 and in the Charlotte Observer on Monday, January 2.

The story particularly emphasized the progressive attitude of a higher standard of living in the rural areas. It hinged around the installation of home water systems during the past year using hydraulic rams on springs….

With the assistance from the County Agent’s office, 15 farmers installed home water systems during the year using rams at an average installation cost of $114. A summary of this work reveals the fact that these Alexander farmers just one year ago were walking and carrying water in buckets through all kinds of weather over steep, rough, narrow paths all the water used in the home each day an average of 640 feet and uphill from the spring to the home.

They now have a total of 9,156 gallons of pure cool spring water per day going into the kitchen sink, or into a storage tank on a scaffold in the yard, which is putting all the water needed in the kitchen, bath, poultry houses, and many other places around the farm where running water is convenient.

A large number of them have already installed indoor baths, with undeground septic tanks, hot water equipment, sinks, etc., and others are now making plans to do so.

A brighter outlook on life and higher standard of living can already be detected in and around the homes of these farmers.

I know of no other farm home convenience that will be appreciated more and improve the general outlook on life more than running water…. Practically every person who has a spring within 1,200 feet of the home can install a complete system with a hydraulic ram at a very reasonable cost. I shall be glad to help anyone make a survey, estimate the cost, and help install a system of this type.