With the need for pure and pleasant tasting unfulfilled by the city of Hammond, the Pure Water Company was founded. The quality of the city's tap water was poor at best, often it was murky, foul smelling and tasting. This brand new business enterprise was formed by two young businessmen, who were formerly under the employment of the Edward C. Minas Company, department store. The source for the company's water was an artesian spring located about eight miles from the city. In the Black Oak area, on the outskirts of town, was the Henry Nimetz Farm, well known throughout the county for it's pure and refreshing water. People returning back to their homes would often stop at this natural spring and quench their thirsts, and carry a supply back home with them. A lease was obtained by the company to bottle the water near the source of the spring. "The pure water comes from an ice cold crystal stream of water, 100 feet below the surface". The company stated. The water is odor free and sediment free as well. One of the ways city residents would combat the water problem was to boil their drinking water. Doing this would render the water flat and tasteless. When one would consider all of the labor and the cost of the gas for boiling, it was cheaper to buy bottled water. The Pure Water Company of Hammond would deliver their bottled Black Oak Spring Water right to your doorstep in their highly visible bright yellow motor truck. There was no other vehicle like it in the city. The company's offices and water depot was located on East Carroll Street.

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Source information and photo from The Times Newspapers located at the Hammond Public Library.

Twentieth Century Time Capsule © 1999 HammondIndiana.com

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