Elmers Fountain - This roadside attraction was originally called Arnolds Fountain, but was renamed for the sculptures creator after the death of the property owners. Elmer Almquist,a silver miner, once part-owner of the Sunshine mine and resident of nearby Mullan, built this out of salvaged mining equipment. Water spouts from tall pipes and cascades through notches in beveled gear. Funnel shaped cone crushers capture the water (like a bowl) and give it a place to pause before gurgling over. I noticed this in 2012 as we were driving back from whereabouts unknown on our September vacation, but we kept right on traveling! Accessible only when you are traveling east on I-90 and exiting at mile 66, we managed to slow down last fall 2013 and visit this quiet spot. About 300 yards up the mountain, there is supposedly a flume from Gold Creek that ends at a small water dam. The water then drop through a 4 inch pipe to a valve that controls the fountains flow. I walked back on a trail (no bathrooms here) and saw quite a backup of water like a pond, so am assuming this is the backup of water. Worth the stop people!
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 21:55:45 +0000
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