Payette County ID Archives News.....Struck an Artesian September 12, 1895
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Patty Theurer seymour784@yahoo.com February 26, 2006, 6:28 pm

Payette Independent September 12, 1895
Payette Independent
Payette, Idaho
September 12, 1895

STRUCK AN ARTESIAN

Dan Coates, of Little Willow Creek, is the Lucky Man.

BETTER THAN A MINE.

Five Different Prospect Holes Get Flowing Water.

This Discovery Means Prosperity to a Very Fertile Valley Which is Tributary to 
Payette and Should Lead to Further Research in that Direction.

D. B. Coates is about the happiest granger in seventeen states.  He has struck 
artesian water on his Little Willow creek ranch, about 18 miles from Payette, 
and was in town last Friday arranging for piping and receiving the 
congratulations of his friends.

Mr. Coates has believed for a long time that the formation along the banks of 
the creek on his premises were favorable to the discovery of artesian water at 
a small expense.  Taking a two-inch auger he proceeded to bore a hole into the 
soap-stone formation which juts out over the creek bed, and at a depth of 17 
feet the water rose to the surface and poured over into the stream.  Upon going 
down 18 feet into the gravel, or 35 feet below the surface, the flow increased 
until the discharge was estimated at not less than ten miners’ inches.

In four other places, ranging from a quarter to a mile apart, Mr. Coates put 
down prospect holes, getting a flow of water in each instance as soon as the 
auger penetrated through the rock or soap stone formation.  Jacob Windle, of 
this place, who has made an examination of this discovery, says there can be no 
doubt about obtaining artesian water, at a trifling cost, in sufficient 
quantity to irrigate large tracts of valuable land along Little Willow creek, 
much of which is at present practically worthless for want of water.

From John Ashbaugh’s famous little ranch, which is located at the mouth of the 
creek, about six miles up the Payette river from this place, for miles up the 
Little Willow, is to be found hundreds of acres of just as fine land as ever a 
crow flew over, and a capital location for small fruit farms or grain fields.  
That section of country is all tributary to Payette, and should these lands be 
reclaimed by artesian water it would not be many years before the results would 
prove highly beneficial to the business interests of this city.

The success which now bids fair to reward the efforts of Mr. Coates will 
certainly have a tendency to stimulate others in prospecting for flowing 
wells.  It wouldn’t be a bad thing if the fever should break out right here in 
Payette. 


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