California Springs
Introduction
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To the east in the center of this section is a spring flowing from a sandstone formation noted for its pure water. In the early 1850s this spring marked the confluence of a branch trail from Westport Landing and a trail from Osceola, Missouri, where settlers stopped on their way to California. The spring water won a second-place prize for its purity in nationwide competition at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. Bottled spring water was sold in Ottawa by landowners and used in locally-produced soda pop from the 1870s to the 1940s.
Sources
Richards, Catherine Jane. Barker, Deborah. Northwest Franklin County, Franklin County Kansas Historical Portal. Accessed August 2nd 2020. http://www.franklincokshistory.org/places-2/tours/northwest-franklin-county/.