There are thousands of places scattered throughout the United States with “springs” included in their names. Many of those “springs” began as health resorts that provided mineral waters to patrons wanting to improve their health. Long before health clubs and supplement stores, mineral spring resorts thrived on the health consciousness of the nation. The resorts varied in success and popularity. While some gained fame throughout the world as a leisurely destination, others operated in virtual anonymity, known only to the people who lived in the area. Despite the differences, the mineral water resorts of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries became the favorite vacation retreats for Americans. The remnants of the mineral water industry are found throughout the nation and throughout Tennessee. Hamilton Springs continues the legacy of one of this state’s most popular retreats.

     Hamilton Springs Resort opened in 1898 and to the delight of its owner, Jim Hamilton, gained great notoriety and success. The hotel attracted vacationers with its luxurious accommodations, and the waters attracted those wanting to improve their health. They drank the water to cure various ailments and bathed in it to improve their skin. Undoubtedly, others visited Hamilton Springs to take in the beauty of the area. A 1919 advertisement described the resort as a magnificent hotel sitting in the rolling countryside and surrounded by a grove of beautiful trees. While writing this advertisement, Jim Hamilton was proudly describing the scenic atmosphere of his resort, but he was also describing a place in time. Those rolling hills and beautiful trees were found by Jim’s grandfather in 1799 when he claimed the land grant provided for his service in the Revolutionary War. And they are the same rolling hills and beautiful trees that are found in the Hamilton Springs Community today.

     The hotel burned in 1932, and that event marked the end of an era. By this time the Great Depression had set in, and vacations to a back seat to more important needs. When the economy improved highways and interstates led to further destinations. However, as cars sped by the rolling hills, beautiful trees and springs remained only to be discovered once again.