Ralston Well House restoration project is now complete

The Ralston Well House project reached completion at the end of November.

The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association along with the Ralston community and Washington State Parks have invested $7,000 and 550 plus hours of labor to this project.

This site currently includes camping for 100 rigs, high lines, hitch rails, mounting blocks and a fire pit.

This well house is determined to be circa 1909, Randy Roth and the Ralston Grange partnered with the trail riders a few years ago to have the building restored.

Those assisting from the Ralston area included Roth, Ron and Mikki Kisson, Mike Miller and Linda and Howard Cutler.

The group installed storm windows, repainted the building, added new shingles to the roof, installed plumbing in the building and repaired the ceiling so birds can no longer build their nests inside the building.

The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association crew consisted of Jeanine and Gaylord Perkins, Hal Gatenby, Mark Bolensky and Byron Scott.

This well house is located at the campsite and is currently used by a nearby landowner, Howard Cutler. He provides water for trail users from April through October.

The group would like to get permission to eventually install a larger pump as they have issues with the quantity of water available to a group of their size.

Eventually they would like to install a porch or deck. Additionally they would like to complete a landscaping project and add signage indicating the history of the building.

This group has put in countless hours not only on this project but towards the upkeep of the trail as a whole. They are working to install signage on the trail depicting the history in other areas as well.

Anyone interested in the organizations is welcome to contact them via their website, http://www.jwpwr.org/contact-us.