Waukesha, located in Wisconsin, was once home to Silurian Spring, and was competition for the neighboring Bethesda Spring. The land was surveyed and purchased in 1868, and was named after the prehistoric sea that once covered the area. David Jackson, a postmaster, soon fell in love with the springs and built a log cabin on the land. In 1874, he began promoting the springs to visitors.
The springs had a lot to offer. The main attraction was the classical hexagonal architecture bathhouse with various murals. The springs also came complete with a bottling plant, pond, roller coaster, bandstand, and casino. Entertainment came in handy since the springs claimed: “Little children…are often punished for habits which they cannot control. If they are given Silurian Water to drink whenever they are thirsty…their mothers will be delighted to find speedy relief from the annoyances caused by such habits.”
Today, the springhouse is still standing and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sources:
“Building of the Week-Sulurian Mineral Springhouse.” Allume Architects, December 8, 2016. Website. http://allumearchitects.com/blog-post/building-week-%E2%80%93-silurian-mineral-springhouse
Silurian Spring. (Medical Trade Ephemera Collection) Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.