I’ve always been drawn to forgotten corners- places that once bustled with life but now linger quietly in the background. On the surface, Matter Park in Marion, Indiana, doesn’t seem to qualify. It’s a vibrant, well-maintained space, full of playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis courts, and walking trails. Still a piece of history most visitors overlook is tucked away in a quieter section of the park: a springhouse built around what was once a celebrated artesian well.
The land that would become Matter Park once belonged to James Matter, a Pennsylvania-born farmer and investor who settled in Marion at a young age1. In 1888, the federal government attempted to purchase part of his property for a new National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Unfortunately, fate had other plans: when a test well was drilled, it didn’t strike gas- it struck an endless flow of water instead! The government changed course, and the project was relocated to Jonesboro Pike2, where an expanded Marion VA Medical Center still stands today. Thanks to that twist, the well kept flowing. The land stayed free.
On September 19, 1892, James Matter gifted thirty acres of the site to the city of Marion3. Just like that, Matter Park was born. At its heart, the flowing well quickly became one of the park’s biggest draws4. Surrounded by four concentric steps and a circular iron railing, the well offered more than just a scenic view: it poured forth famously and attracted visitors from across Indiana and beyond. For a time, crowds came from all over to sample its flow!
Unfortunately, that once-mighty stream slowed to a quiet trickle by 19045. The flow finally stopped for good the following year, when a pump had to be installed just to keep the water moving6. As it turns out, the Marion Paper Company half a mile southeast7 had drilled its own well that tapped into the same aquifer8. During the work week, the factory’s heavy draw drained the underground supply! On weekends, the flow returned like magic. Visitors could still enjoy Matter Park’s famous waters, just so long as they came on Saturday or Sunday9.
Eventually, the Marion Paper Company folded. With it went the competition for water, and the well at Matter Park sprang back to life. In 1910, William Harvey Brown gave the site a makeover by building a charming brick, stone, and wood shelter complete with spigots and troughs so visitors could more easily sip the water for themselves10. Unfortunately, the well lost its sparkle over time and its water became unsafe to drink11. Despite repeated efforts to restore its quality12, the well hasn’t been approved for human consumption for at least twenty years13.
Today, the old flowing well and its springhouse sit at the bottom of a concrete stairway in a corner of Matter Park. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to see the well itself when I decided to visit, but I’d read that if you listened closely, you could still hear the water flowing. That was enough for me. I spotted the springhouse’s roof peeking over a berm, parked, and made my way down the steps. Sure enough, the sound of rushing water echoed from within the structure.
To my surprise, I didn’t just hear it- I saw it! The springhouse door stood wide open, practically inviting me in for a closer look. Inside was a strange setup: a hollow concrete cylinder with a square metal box tucked inside. Rising from the box was a tall metal pipe, while green sacks -maybe filled with sand- were crumpled on top. Water trickled down the sides of the box and poured steadily from a hose aimed toward the floor. Everything was coated in thick layers of rust. I can’t begin to understand the mechanisms at play, but seeing the guts of the Matter Park springhouse was a vivid reminder that this was the real deal: a true artesian well, still flowing under its own pressure after all these years.
I wandered around to the north side of the structure and paused to admire the old trough. It must have been a welcome sight for parkgoers on hot summer days! Though dry now, its features still told a story: holes for drains, spigots, and nozzles hinted at how the space once bustled with visitors. Just above, I focused on a plaque honoring William Harvey Brown, the man who built the structure back in 1910. I wish every city park took that kind of pride in its past. Heritage like Matter Park’s artesian well deserves to be celebrated.
Unfortunately, the well doesn’t get much attention these days. People still reminisce about it on social media, and there was even an effort back in 2010 to hook it up to city water14. During our quick visit, Mom and I were the only ones who seemed even remotely curious. Birthday parties and cookouts were in full swing just a stone’s throw away, but no one wandered over to the old springhouse. Part of me was a little sad to see the Matter Park well so overlooked, but another part was relieved. At least no one was bothering it! Judging by the door that had clearly been kicked in, it’s already seen its share of trouble.
To me, flowing water is sacred. It doesn’t matter if it pours from a rust-streaked box in an old springhouse or whether it bubbles straight from the earth. There’s something timeless about it, something that connects us to the land and to everyone who’s ever stopped to drink, to listen, or just to ponder the meaning of it all. In a way, the isolation of the artesian well at Matter Park made visiting it even more special. It almost felt like it was waiting for someone who still cared.
Sources Cited
1 Kingery, T. (1992, September 20). The Marion Chronicle-Tribune. p. 1.
2 Hip, Hip, Hurrah (1888, July 23). The Marion Chronicle-Tribune. p. 3.
3 (See footnote 1).
4 Origin of Matter Park (1892, July 14). Thet Marion Daily Chronicle. P. 1.
5 Flow Failing (1904, September 30). The Marion Leader. p. 6.
6 Matter Park Well Stops (1906, June 30). The Marion News-Tribune. p. 7.
7 Underground Investigations In Grant County Finished (1911, September 11). The Marion Chronicle-Tribune. p. 1.
8 Allen, G. (1975, December 7). A touch of nostalgia. The Marion Chronicle-Tribune. p. 74.
9 Place for Baseball (1926, June 20). The Marion Leader-Tribune. p. 16.
10 Kipp, R. (2005, August 30). Mayor dedicates well to brick mason. The Marion Chronicle Tribune. p. 3.
11 Culley, P. You know you live in Marion, Indiana when… (2021, February 6). That’s exactly the reason, Bill. I was an environmental health specialist for the Grant Co. Health Dept. then and we [Comment]. Facebook.
12 Culley, P. You know you live in Marion, Indiana when… (2021, February 6). Park maintenance tried many times to fix the problem but couldn’t. Well parts were sanitized and the well was hyperchlorinated on [Comment]. Facebook.
13 (See footnote 10).
14 Holtz, M. (2010, March 11). Parks preparing for spring, summer. The Marion Chrnicle-Tribune. p. 3.
