SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

Bill had still another natural talent on which he could rely. He had always been interested in geology. He often startled listeners by tossing words like “antediluvian” and “glacial epochs” around, which puzzled many but it was no bluff. 

He knew a great many geological facts pertaining to Iowa especially to Hardin county. He knew where underground water ran deep and where it was filtered through sand and ran clear, where it flowed through mud and was dirty. He knew where various rock formations were located and their approximate thickness. With all this know-how, it was only natural that he should become a well driller. At the time of his death at the young age of 58, most of the drilled wells in Hardin county had been put down by Bill Hartman and his crew.