Shown is a section of wooden piping used to carry water. It was owned by H.C. Haskell, a River Road farmer and selectman of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Some towns used wooden pipes in their waterworks as late as 1915. The iron alternative was more expensive and some believed it added a sour taste to the water. Plus, iron was subject to corrosion. Once improvements were made to the casting of iron and less expensive ceramic pipes were available, wooden water pipes were no longer used.