Red Sulphur Springs Hotel opened in 1832 in the unincorporated community in Monroe County, West Virginia. Dr. William Burke built the hotel to accommodate 350 guests, hoping to use the springs for health. Dr. Burke personally used the springs for pulmonary health, but also claimed the springs could heal inflammations, whether stomach, liver, spleen, intestines, kidneys, or bladder. Large parties were hosted nightly, making it a popular summer resort.
Spring water
Rawley Springs and Massanetta Mineral Springs Company
Rawley Springs is an unincorporated community in Rockingham County, 9 miles west of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and was once known for its lavish medical resort. European men began to settle the land in the early 19th century. One of the earliest settlers was Benjamin Smith, who sent his wife Elizabeth to the springs for her health in 1810. Doctors were perplexed on what was causing her illness, but within six weeks of staying at the springs and drinking the water she was cured. Shortly after, people began to set up summer camps by the springs. Joseph Hicks is credited for purchasing land and officially advertising the small village as a resort community in 1824.
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Saratoga Springs
This month we are visiting Saratoga County, New York – home of the Saratoga Springs! Saratoga Springs has been a popular resort for health for over 200 years.
The land was originally home to the Mohawk and Iroquois tribes, who used its forests for hunting and the mineral springs for health. Sir William Johnson of the French and Indian War spent his time healing at the springs after befriending the Native Americans of the area.
A European settlement was started in 1819, and quickly gained tourism success in 1832, when the Saratoga and Scenectady Railroad Station was built. By 1870, there was an express train from New York City to the resort town, furthering the springs’ expansion.
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