Wells 

Colonial well at Bath, NC

Water wells are ancient, dating at least as far back as 8500 BC, like the one discovered in Cypress. All countries had some early in their history, including those in Europe and then the United States. Early wells were usually dug and the water hand-drawn. We can read many accounts of this in the Bible. Later in history, however, the underground water could be tapped by driving, boring, or drilling.

Of course, dug wells tended to be larger, and many had a hand crank and bucket attached by a rope to wind the bucket up and down. I remember some of these at country houses when I was a young child. When people began to use other methods to access the water, like drilling or boring, hand pumps became the thing.

Depending on the conditions, well water could vary greatly as to quality and volume. The wells also had differing water pressure and depths, depending on the water table and source. I have traveled the world, and the best tasting water I can remember was in south-central Missouri from a deep, drilled well.

In many well-developed countries with modern infrastructures, wells have steadily declined. However, in much of the world, they are still appreciated, and there's many organizations that work to help get wells with clean drinking water into underdeveloped areas. Therefore, wells in some form will likely be around for a long time.

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