Henry Flagg French Practiced What He Preached

Henry F. French, was not the first to use clay drain tile in America. I believe a Mr William Connors of Exeter, NH was the first in the area to use clay drain tile to "underdrain" his farm land to make it more productive. Tile Drainage first established here in 1838. Use of drain tile was not common until about 1850.

Henry installed an interior drain tile system on a farm house he owned in Exeter, NH sometime in the 1850's. He also installed such a drain tile system in a farmhouse he bought in 1865 on Sudbury Road in Concord, MA. In a lecture he gave he mentions that he installed drainage systems in both these houses and they were still functioning fine.

Henry French felt that it was absolutely important for the health of the home and family that people in his day should drain the water from their cellars (basements). His main reason for doing so was health of the women and children who were in the home most. He believed that diseases were directly caused from the bad air rising up from the cellar.

Today I am on a mission to bring attention to the importance of not only draining the cellar (basement) but making sure that a proper water and moisture control system be installed in homes today. No longer should contractors install open backed drainage systems in basements as these systems encourage radon, ground humidity, bugs and moisture which promotes mold. Please visit http://www.gratedrain.blogspot.com and http://www.basementwaterproofingboston.com for more information.

"Tan Bark"

When one reads Henry French's book on Farm Drainage he mentions his "cellar drainage" was two rows of 2" clay tiles surrounded by "tan bark". What is this tan bark? Well in doing research on this subject I found that tan bark was probably the inner bark of the red oak tree. During the 1850's "tannin" was very desirable as it was used in leather tanning. I believe the tan bark was probably the bark that was left after the tannin was extracted.

At first I asked my self, "why would Henry French use tan bark around his cellar drains instead of river stone. Was it because of it being readily available? Easy to install? Well I must say that when doing research on iron bacteria and its affects on drainage systems, I came across two separate research studies, one in Scotland and the other in Florida. In each of these studies they found that the acid in conifer bark or in the case in Florida (oak bark) actually aided in controlling iron bacteria clogging drainage fields.

Could it be that in the 1850's Henry French knew that the tan bark would actually keep the cellar drains in his farm house in Concord, Massachusetts running freely.. (Note: I have been in this cellar of this house recently and did see that there was iron bacteria present.) Knowing what I do about Henry French and the Concord Farmers Group, I believe they did know. Some times when we want to learn something to help us with a problem, it is always a good idea to look at the things our ancestors did in the past and then ask why.

Where did the clay drainage tiles come from?

It appears that sometime before 1859, the farmers of New England purchased common clay drain tiles from overseas (probably England). Some time around the mid 1800's production of clay drain tiles began being produced in America. In Henry French's writing he mentions getting clay drainage tiles from Albany, NY.

It was said that a farmer could get 1000 feet of Clay Drain Tiles for $12.00

If anyone out there has any further information on clay drain tiles being produced in the 1800's - I would love to hear from you.