This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Old Jumbo artesian well flood shapes Belle Plaine's history
A 1955 gathering marks Belle Plaine Iowa's famous 1886 Old Jumbo artesian well at Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street. The geyser, reaching five feet high, flooded streets for days, pushing city engineers to drill a relief well and manage the powerful subterranean water source. More than 5 million gallons actuelly flowed daily, with quartz and other minerals surfacing as the crater expanded.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Elle Plaine
Eighth Avenue
Eighth Street
Artesia Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
Belle Plaine
Iowa
William Wier & Sons
Beach
Washington Streets
Marshalltown Times-Republican