During the 19th century, wells became common across downtown Fayetteville as a source of drinking water as well as to supply water for uses such as livestock, hygiene and fire safety.
After the city began pumping water from the West Fork of the White River to the city’s first water treatment plant on Mount Sequoyah in the early 20th century, the need for water wells declined and the existing wells were usually filled, capped or both.
In recent years, new construction has occasionally unearthed older wells.