The accompanying image for this month’s column shows part of the little community of Saltwell. The photograph was one of several images found by me, about twenty years ago, in an old trunk that was inside an outbuilding on the Saltwell farm. My great grandparents, Herb and Olive (Dadisman) Andrick, owned the farm for about fifty years, having purchased it from the Chadwell Family during the 1950s. One of the Chadwell trunks was still in an old building on the farm when my great grandfather passed away. There were several items of historical interest pertaining to the Saltwell community, items which I now own.
Located approximately three miles from Shinnston, the Saltwell community was named for the 745-foot-deep well that was drilled at the request of Abraham and Peter Righter in the year 1835. They employed the Martin Brothers from Teverbaugh, located between Four States and Worthington, to use a “spring pole” to drill the deep well to try to reach the salt brine. This, of course, was before the days of refrigeration when salt was the primary substance used for food preservation. As the population increased, so did the food supply, which in turn meant the demand for salt increased.
The “spring pole” was a horizontal beam fastened into the forks of a tall post with the drilling bit fastened on one end and a rope on the other. The operator would pull down on the rope, then let go, which would allow the bit to fall and strike the ground. Their 745 ft depth reached the salt brine, but it proved to be too weak in salt for the supply they were seeking.
The well, shown in the foreground, was an attraction for well over a century.
During the 1800’s, water at the well came from a five-inch hole. Early in the twentieth century, the hole was chiseled out to Their 745-foot depth.
Many passersby would stop to get a drink from the well and would also fill buckets with water as it was claimed to have medicinal purposes.
I’ve also heard many stories from people who recall stopping at the well to dip water out and then light a match over it to see a flame ignite, as the depth of the well had reached natural gas. This natural gas is what forced the water to the surface and gave it a bubbling effect. The water had a sulfur taste unless you could confine it to a container and allow the natural gas to evaporate from it.
During the 1960’s, my great grandparents had the water from the well piped under the roadway and into their home. For many years, they also kept an old iron bath tub at the well, which had water constantly overflowing from its sides.
The old single-story farmhouse, shown at right, was replaced by a two-story structure about 1945. The two-story structure is where my great grandparents lived for fifty years and is still maintained as a residence. The Saltwell Schoolhouse is shown at left in the image and has been remodeled into a residence. The church, shown at center, also still stands, but hasn’t been used as a worship center for many years. It was last used as a United Methodist Church.
A West Virginia Historical Highway Marker was placed near the well in 1980, with a dedication ceremony held in July of that year.
During the time my great grandparents owned the property, the land surrounding the well was maintained and they welcomed many visitors to stop at the well over the years. owned the property, the land surrounding the well was maintained and they welcomed many visitors to stop at the well over the years.
And that is this month’s story behind the photo!
