SCENIC DRIVE INCLUDES STOP AT ARTESIAN WELL

Although artesian wells are no rarity in this area, they could easily fit into the "few and far between" category.

"They're really something to see," said Jane DeSpain, who operates Hide-A-Way Restaurant near Marquand, about three miles from an artesian well in Bollinger County. "The water comes gushing out -- about 50 gallons a minute -- and there's no pump."

DeSpain adds that the "water is delicious. It's good water, and it's cold."

When Frank Nickell, the director of the Center for Regional History and Cultural Heritage at Southeast Missouri State University, saw the Sycamore Valley Artesian Well in Bollinger County, he placed it on the agenda for the 131-mile, Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive April 23-24.

"The story has been handed down that the Sycamore Valley well was accidentally tapped into during test-drilling for a lead mine," said Shirley Blecha of nearby Marquand. "It's been a source of water ever since."

Some area people say the well has been running at about 50 gallons of water a minute for almost a century.

DeSpain says it's more like a half-century.

"Not a lot of people see the well," she said. "It's sort of off the beaten path. But, more and more people are driving by to see and taste the water now."

The route to the well is a gravel road, and a bit rough near the well, which is located beside the road.

To reach the artesian well, motorists can take Route A off of Highway 51, to Route O, then to County Road 872. The well is located almost two miles from the O-872 intersection.

"There's another artesian well near the Sycamore Valley well," said Blecha, "but it's on private property."

DeSpain said the Hide-A-Way Restaurant and artesian well were among areas well attended during the 1993 scenic drive.

"We had big crowds both days, and expect more of the same this year," said DeSpain, who offers a menu of chicken and dumplings, barbecue, ham and beans and sorghum cakes for the weekend. "And, almost everyone who stops here will continue on to see the artesian well."

A number of artesian wells, which tap ground water that is under pressure, forcing the water without the aid of a pump to the surface, have been found throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

The Hubble Creek Gas & Oil Co. tapped into an artesian well about a mile and a half northwest of Gordonville in 1921. This well produced water into the 1950s.

One of the most popular area artesian wells was that located alongside Route 51 about five miles north of Cairo in Southern Illinois. Little is known about the well, but it provided a source of water to travelers for a number of years during the 1930s and 1940s before running dry in the 1950s.

U.S. Highway 51 was a heavily traveled north-south route and many motoring tourists timed their schedule for an "overnight" stop at the artesian well there. During its heyday, as many as a dozen families could be found in the area of the well on any spring, summer and fall night.

"Overnighters" may not be present at the Sycamore Valley Artesian Well the weekend of the drive, but many motorists are expected to see the quiet of the countryside during the fourth annual Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive on that weekend.

Crowds were down a bit during the third annual drive in 1993, due mostly to blustery weather and light falling drizzle.

Although a participation figure is difficult to estimate, sizable crowds were reported at a number of sites along the route.

More than 1,500 visitors toured Black Forest during the first day of the tour, watching artists as they prepared home-made jewelry, leather crafts and other products. Despite the weather conditions another 900 visitors made their way into the Black Forests and its two villages the second day of the drive. The Black Forest villages contain 32 buildings of 1870s vintage.

A Civil War encampment and the Missouri Department of Conservation Nature Center and North County Park headquarters buildings also attracted huge attendance last year.

Area residents will have an opportunity to discover a number of historic points of interest while taking part in the fourth annual, 131-mile, self-conducted driving tour April 23-24.

The annual event is coordinated by the Center for Regional History and Cultural Heritage at Southeast Missouri State University. More than a dozen villages and towns annually participate in the event to showcase the region's cultural heritage.

Participants in the tour may enter the designated route at one of three points - The Appleton Exit, off Interstate 55 at Exit 117; the Cape Girardeau/Jackson exit off I-55 at mile 99; or the junction of Highways 51 and 34 at Marble Hill. Maps and booklets describing the communities, sites and activities along the route will be available at these locations.

Towns to be featured include Cape Girardeau, Pocahontas, Altenburg, Frohna, Wittenberg, Apple Creek, Sedgewickville, Patton, Marble Hill, Burfordville, Jackson, Brazeau, Marquand and Old Appleton and others.

Motorists can also visit Trail of Tears State Park, Penzel's Azalea Farm, the Black Forest, and Tower Rock and Rocky Holler USA, which features horseback riding, fishing and a petting zoo. Participants also may pan for gold.

The Zenon River Brigade, a group of re-enactors will present a "living history encampment" representing frontier life in 1795. The encampment is located at the Elks' Lake west of Cape Girardeau County park, and North on County Road 619.

Communities along the drive have organized several activities to highlight the weekend's event. Visitors may tour historic homes, churches and parks -- including the working mill on the banks of the Whitewater River at Burfordville.