Laura’s Fountain in Merced’s Applegate Park gets some TLC

The historic Laura’s Fountain in Merced was getting some much-needed attention Monday afternoon.

Workers with the city’s parks and public works departments cleared the drain and flushed out the pipes leading from the Applegate Park fountain. Leaves, twigs and rose petals from the nearby garden had clogged the drain so the fountain could not function.

It wasn’t just organic refuse that caused the problem. At least one plastic water bottle was found and removed from the fountain.

Workers planned to refill the fountain with water Tuesday.

The fountain dates to 1888, when Merced founder Charles Henry Huffman had it built in front of the El Capitan Hotel. According to the Merced Historical Society, the marble fountain and granite base were built to honor Huffman’s third wife, Laura Kirkland Huffman.

In 1935, the fountain was moved to its current location in Applegate Park.

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Laura’s Fountain in Merced’s Applegate Park gets some TLC."