[6] In the 1870s New York City undertook efforts to eradicate the natural open wells and springs as they were perceived to be hazardous to health.

The official municipal source for city water was the Croton Aqueduct which was endorsed by the NYC sanitation officers, rather than local neighborhood wells and springs.

[10] Smith's photographs were a contribution to the visual culture of New York City as they documented a vanishing way of life in urban America.

[6] During the 1870s the city embarked on efforts to eradicate the historical open wells and springs as these natural sources of water were seen as a health hazard by NYC sanitation officers.

The Croton Aqueduct fed by the Croton-Hudson Reservoir was at that time the official municipal source for city water.

[6] However Smith wrote the introduction to his book before his death,[12] including "In the days, not so very long ago, when nearly all the railroad mileage of the metropolis was to be found on the lower half of the Island, nothing was more cheering to the thirsty city tourist afoot or awheel than to discover a natural spring of clear cold water, and nothing quite so refreshing as a draught of it.

Jimbo Blachly created a site-specific installation in 2003, About 86 Springs, at SculptureCenter in Long Island City, New York.

[20][21] Infrastructure photographer Stanley Greenberg embarked on a project rephotographing all of the well and spring sites in Manhattan and the Bronx.