03/23/2022
Our very own Rodney Jones wrote this article for an installment in the Valley Voice which had at the time wasn't published due to some difficulties within the lives of members of the society. Hopefully someday we can get a new building and start The Valley Voice back up as it all means so much to so many.
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HARRISON VALLEY’S FAMOUS MINERAL WATER ARTESIAN WELL
By – Rodney Jones
July 30, 2021
Many people who are reading this second issue of the Valley Voice are probably unaware that the small town of Harrison Valley PA was, at one time, quite famous. Established in the early 1800’s, Harrison Township was formed in 1823. The town of Harrison Valley, in the northern part of the township & north east corner of Potter County began to grow and had several successful businesses including a large Tannery and quite a few other busy enterprises. But the business that gave Harrison Valley a taste of fame back in those days was Mineral Water, and surprisingly, it all began by mistake.
“Why & How?”, you might ask. Well, it is clearly documented that mineral water has been used world-wide for thousands of years as a treatment for illnesses, ailments and to promote general well -being. It was extremely popular throughout the USA in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and several wells were drilled in and efforts made to promote them from Potter County.
But, to bring us back to Harrison Valley, around mid- November of 1900, the Harper Oil and Gas Company, began to drill locally in hopes of hitting a pocket of gas or oil. The well that caused such a stir was drilled as an oil well on property owned by Almira B. White, in central Harrison Valley.
The well drillers hit solid rock at around 60 feet, but kept boring and at around 165 feet, they hit a gusher, (not of oil, but of water). The artesian well, for that indeed is what it is, began averaging an 8 inch flow, shooting 10 feet in the air and producing a gallon per second. Even for those of us born before the availability of calculators, that equates to 86,400 gallons of water per day. The drilling team kept on trying to go deeper, still trying to hit oil, but at 205 feet, the bit broke and drilling was stopped. After much consideration, a decision was made to let the well stand as a water source.
The water had a “sulfur” smell and as such mineral filled water was revered in those days, a sample was sent in for analysis. The resulting data from Dr. George Ferguson, The United Laboratories of New York City was exciting; ‘the water is mineral, pure, free from contamination and very rich in mineral matter’.
At this point, several prominent town citizens pooled their resources and purchased the well and an acre of land around it from Mrs. White. They formed the Harrison Valley Mineral Water Company: A.F. Dodge – President, Frank D. Councilman – Secretary, Mrs. Zitilla Stevens – Treasurer, Dr. M.R. Pritchard – Medical Director and Mrs. Ellen Harrison – Partner.
The business was a significant success. People from far and wide, local and nationwide, even internationally became aware of the apparent “healing” qualities of the water that came from the artesian well in Harrison Valley. Local folks told doubters that they “could be cured by simply standing in the mist of the well and breathing in it’s healing virtues”! Some folks even dubbed the new well with a nickname – “the Fountain of Youth”. There were many testimonials from all over outlining the wondrous qualities of the water.
In November 6, 1907, H. M. Horton became a Partner in the enterprise and the Company began selling their product under the name ‘White Ribbon Mineral Water’. Business was booming to the extent that three new bottling machines were purchased along with a labeling machine capable of labeling 12,000 bottles a day. The promotion of the bottled water was made easier due to it’s “splendid analysis”. It became so popular at the time, that the company also was working to set up a service location so that customers could come and take hot baths in the water. One of the advertisements from the time outlined that the water could be helpful in no less than 35 separate ailments and diseases. White Ribbon Mineral Water was bottled in two forms: still water and aerated water, (a process that impregnated the water with ‘pure liquid carbonic gas’).
In the years following, the belief in mineral water began to lessen as greater medical knowledge grew. Mineral water companies began to fail financially or were forced to change their focus.
In 1928, the White Ribbon Company was sold to Ed and Eleanor Evans who started operating the company as a soft-drink bottling company. The Evans’ sold the bottling works company to Ernest and Herman Waehner in 1946, a year after WWII. In 1956, a fire at the bottling plant resulted in its total destruction. A pair of 17 year old teenagers trying to steal gasoline were the culprits in starting the blaze. The Waehner brothers never rebuilt.
In mid-1958, another local resident, L. George Peffer, bought the land, the well and what was left of the company. Over the next year, George rebuilt the plant , installed new bottling equipment and began operating the business again, still under the original name, Harrison Valley Mineral Water Company. He bottled nationally established soft drinks from the Mission Beverage Company , including Sun-Drop, Diet Sun-Drop, Red Rock Cola, Big Giant Cola and Old Antique Ginger Ale. George even created and established his own brand of soft-drinks, Frid-Gee, in a variety of flavors and all made with “pure Harrison Valley mineral water”.
George closed the business in 1969, but I remember him, his wife Marilyn, and the wonderful soft-drinks he and the many local residents, (including my brother, Greg, and sister, Sheila) made in his bottling plant very well. Heading up to Lloyd and Martha Evans Grocery Store after a hot, dusty day of putting in hay for Maynard Sherman or Thelbert Church, putting a dime in the cold water bath coke machine and pulling out and popping off the flip top of and taking a long slug of a cold, cold Sun-Drop is a delightful memory I will never forget, and one I can close my eyes and bring back in an instant.
The “Pop-Shop” building still remains, but it houses the trucks and the maintenance shop for the Harrison Township these days. It was purchased from George and Marilyn Peffer’s daughter, Susan, a couple years ago, after Marilyn passed away. The Artesian well still operates and serves a couple families close by the well property, still with the same fine mineral water. In actuality, many of the Harrison Valley drilled wells probably are a part of the same underground source.
So, when you take a drink of Harrison Valley’s Mineral Water, just keep in mind that you are imbibing the water that was once renowned to make thousands healthy and healed! And, you are drinking the water that once made Harrison Valley famous!!!
