Old Stone Cistern Along Shore of Lake Mendota is a photograph by Martha Sherman which was uploaded on December 11th, 2023.
Old Stone Cistern Along Shore of Lake Mendota
Madison, Wisconsin, USA - Located in Merrill Springs Park along the shore of Lake Mendota. This stone cistern was built in 1934 by the Wisconsin... more
Title
Old Stone Cistern Along Shore of Lake Mendota
Artist
Martha Sherman
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Madison, Wisconsin, USA - Located in Merrill Springs Park along the shore of Lake Mendota. This stone cistern was built in 1934 by the Wisconsin Emergency Relief Administration (WERA) with funds from state grants given by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) to create jobs and develop facilities on public lands. The cistern was probably built inside the original enclosure built in the 1890s to protect the cold water spring that wells up there. This mineral spring was known to the Native Americans in this area as maaka' maaii, which translates as "medicinal water" and was used in healing ceremonies. Native American artifacts have been found in this area that date back more than 1,500 years.
Uploaded
December 11th, 2023
