The family of Eli Van Leuven evidently never dug a well. Instead, they depended for their drinking water on a spring located down slope from their house adjacent to the Coxing Kill (into which the spring water flows). The path to this water source descends sharply downhill and requires a steep uphill return.

One of the Van Leuven children’s chores was hauling water uphill to the house. At the stream, the water flows between smooth ledges of bedrock, and well-placed stones provided convenient perches for bathing and clothes washing. Imagine what it was like to get water to bathe and wash clothes in icy winters!