Jefferson residents used this water pump to draw water from the town well in the center of town during the 1800's and until 1960. The well brought great convenience to local residents, who had previously walked some distance to springs and streams for fresh water. In the United States, community wells expanded rapidly in the 1820s-1830s after the development of the augur boring machine, and over time homeowners in Jefferson and across America increasingly hired companies to drill wells on their own property. Today, most local residents get fresh water from privately owned wells. In early America, the availability of fresh water helped determine where new towns and villages were established, and centrally located community wells with hand-cranked pumps both eased access to water and served as gathering places where residents met and shared news.