Hyatt and his 1891 water well machiine
BREWSTER – Jeff Hyatt remembered growing up in Putnam County and how old-time artisans told him it took almost a year to drill a well with a well drilling machine.
Hyatt, who resides in Patterson, displayed his 1891 water-well machine powered by a nine-horsepower engine at this past weekend’s Antique Farm Equipment show at Tilly Foster Farm.
Hyatt said the tractors along with turn-of-the-century farm implements and antique water pumps “hardly painted the correct picture. Imagine a 25-foot tall water well rig. Picture the muscle needed to drive this mechanical equipment hundreds of feet into the ground in search of water for your well. We at the Putnam County Antique Machinery Association share the appreciation and understanding of the history of farming and encourage others to learn about the tremendous feats accomplished by our forefathers.”
