Before refrigeration, cool water from this spring kept food fresh. The structure over the spring provided cooling shade, protection from animals, and storage space. Inside, cans of milk, crocks or mason jars of butter and meat, perhaps a large pickle jar, and baskets of potatoes, onions, and other produce were kept on shelves, while a metal dipper hung from the wall for a cool drink. Springhouses were small, usually with one door and a small window, and contained a wood or concrete trough where cold water ran through the building. Charles and Mary Schrader immigrated from Germany in 1851 and eventually purchased 160 acres along Potato Creek. Their son Charles and his wife Elizabeth took over the farm and developed a successful livestock breeding operation. The farm remained in the Schrader family until the state bought it to create the park in the 1970s. Twelve springs flowed on this 160 acre farm, leading the owners to name it Springdale Farm. Springs form when water percolating through a porous layer reaches an impermeable layer and, unable to sink farther, emerges at the surface. At Potato Creek, glacial outwash of rocks, sand, and gravel provides the porous layer, and spring groundwater stays at a constant cool temperature unlike surface water, which changes with the air temperature.