Waukesha Springs Tour - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. White Rock Spring

White Rock Spring Company became Waukesha's most famous and well known spring, and is the only active brand that survives to the present day.Founded in 1871, White Rock employed agressive print advertising campaigns, becoming a major national and global brand in the 20th century. The trademark image "Psyche at Nature's Mirror" became one of the most recognizable trademarks in the world.In 1970, White Rock moved all of its operations from Waukesha to New York, where the company and brand still lives on today. The owners of the remaining White Rock buildings in Waukesha did not maintain the site, and had it demolished in 1996.

Hobo Spring, located in present day Frame Park, is one of two springs that were located here. The other spring, Asahel, was located where the Frame Formal Gardens currently are. Hobo Spring was most likely improved and walled in between 1880 and 1892. The spring was never commercialized like many of Waukesha's other springs and was often used by the hobos who came off the Soo Railroad line nearby, hence the name. The spring was not well maintained and was often unnoticed. By 1990 the spring was in very poor shape. It was restored in July of 1997 with efforts from the Waukesha 1834 club, The City of Waukesha Landmarks Commission, Halquist stone, and several other community and private organizations.

3. Hickory Grove Spring

More commonly known as Hickory Grove, a water analysis attributed to John G. Gredler for water from Hickory Grove Spring in the Waukesha Freeman in August of 1884 is the only mention of the spring found to date. Using an 1872 plat map showing the location of the Hickory Grove Brewery, the general location of the springs is thought to be on Main Street to the east of Hartwell. Residents have speculated on the purpose of a mysterious cave or tunnel found near Fuzzy's bar, reported in the Waukesha Freeman in 2015, and one idea is that it was beer storage for the Hickory Grove Brewery.

4. Lithia Spring

After selling Arcadian Springs in 1891, James K. Anderson turned his attention to the development of Lithia Spring. The name, Lithia, comes from an analysis of the time that determined that the presence of Lithia in the water was considered to be at medicinal levels, thus able to help with ailments.

5. Arcadian and Roxo Spring

The Arcadian Mineral spring was opened in 1884 by James K. Anderson. It was located at the corner of Arcadian and Hartwell Ave. at the foot of the hill, where a gas station now stands. Arcadian spring became a popular attraction in Waukesha during the late 19th century when people would travel to Waukesha to partake in its abundant natural mineral springs. Arcadian was eventually bought out by Roxo, another Waukesha spring business. The original Arcadian spring was eventually closed and torn down, but Roxo continued the Arcadian name for a while. Roxo would go on to become one of the longest lasting spring businesses in Waukesha.

6. Downie Spring

Named in 2010 after a fire chief, this spring is located on the site of the former Arcadian Spring reception house.

7. Prairieville "Randles" Spring

Located off of Arcadian to the west of the railroad tracks between Hartwell Ave. and Caroline St., Prairieville Spring was built on the property of John McDonald Randles and was sometimes referred to as Randles Spring. This spring was used by local residents, patrons of the Prairieville Hotel, and the neighboring lumberyard. The spring was eventually demolished and La Casa de Esperanza is in that location today.

8. Glenn Rock Spring

Located on the west side of Hartwell Avenue near Arcadian Avenue, Glenn Rock Mineral Spring was owned by Mayor Michael Glenn and his wife, Katherine from 1906-1912. Water from the spring was bottled on the property and shipped to locations outside of Waukesha. Today, Glenn Rock Motors is on the site of what once was Glenn Rock Mineral Springs.

9. Crystal Rock and Hartwell Spring

The Crystal Rock Mineral Spring was located north of Silurian Spring Park. The Crystal Rock Company bottled healing waters and other drinks between 1903 and 1913. Today the copper dome covered spring is located under a concrete bunker north of the playground in Waukesha Springs Park. It is unclear where Hartwell Springs was located, but it was mentioned as another spring in the park in a Freeman article from March 19, 1952.

10. Silurian Spring

Water from the Silurian spring was marketed as a "health water" for the first time in 1871, making it one of the oldest spring water sites in the city. The park around the spring was beautifully landscaped, with walking paths for visitors. Other amenities at the Silurian Spring park included a bath house, bottling plant, casino, and theatre. After falling into disrepair, the original 1880's springhouse was torn down and replaced in 1927 with a cement enclosed structure, still on the site today. A replica of the 1880's Silurian Springhouse was built and is located along the Fox River Trail, on Bank Street.

11. Sotarian Spring

Sotarian Spring was described as flowing from the highest ground and at the highest point of any of the Waukesha springs. It was discovered on the property of Harry and Minnie (Burrows) Dreyer at the corner of Hartwell Avenue and Fulton Street. The purity of the Sotarian Spring water, free from surface drainage and sewer contamination, and its healing powers were touted.

12. Mineral Spring Block

Within the boarder of Fulton St., Hartwell Ave., Lake Street and what was State St. but is Lincoln Ave. today, Mineral Spring Block was developed into a springs park in 1884. The park was around for about 17 years and included a deer farm near the spring.

13. Buchner Spring

For many years the exact location of Buchner Spring was misunderstood. It wasn't until November of 2019 that a City of Waukesha Engineer dug out and shared very old maps showing the actual location as well as Blueprints of a proposal for the park's design. There are no known pictures of this spring house but believed to be a basic structure of no noteworthy significance. Possibly just a shed with a water spigot out the back side. It is the hope of the Waukesha Landmarks adhoc Springs Committee that this newly discovered location be sited with signage and possibly a lannon stone circular flower bed.

14. Caples Spring

The exact location of this spring is unknown but was located on the extensive grounds of the Waukesha Springs Sanitarium. The spring was located in an octagonal structure constructed of concrete. It was pictured in advertising booklets for the sanitarium and on post cards. From the postcard image, it appears that the spring house was not very far from a curved road. From the 1941 and 1963 GIS Aerial pictures, this marked spot was decided.

15. Avoca Spring

During the Springs Era in Waukesha, in which the town was known nationally and worldwide for its healing spring water, it almost seemed as if there was a mineral spring in everyone's backyard. Of course, this is an exaggeration, but with over 60 mineral springs, having a spring in the backyard was a reality for many people. An example of one of these springs would be the Avoca Mineral spring. This spring was discovered a well was dug for the home of Rev. Dr. E. Purdon Wright. Although the spring was actually an artisan well, as it was dug and not naturally occurring, it was still referred to as a spring, and marketed as such. The home was built on what is the present site of that is now the Carroll University Student Union1.

16. Clysmic Spring

Clysmic Spring was owned by Mrs. Kate Hill of Natchez, Mississippi and leased to Judge John L. Lockwood of New York in 1879. Named Clysmic, which means cleansing, the spring was located at the northwest corner of Grand and College Avenues. After a court battle over the contract and ownership of the name “Clysmic,” Mrs. Hill sold the spring in 1906. The new owners saw renewed success for the company, advertising Clysmic Spring as the “King of Table Waters” bottling in a distinctive green glass bowling pin shapped bottle. Unfortunately, a fire swept through the bottling plant in 1915 and by 1920 Clysmic water was no longer being sold.

17. Fox Head/Imperial Spring

Even though they are unique land formations, springs seemed to have a way of moving locations during the Historic Springs Era. Over the years many springs came and went (as seen on historic maps) that were within a few blocks of this area. These include: Clysmic, Kalador, Vitaqua, Eureka, Sherburn, Mineral Rock and Vesta Springs.

18. Bethesda Spring

Known by the Native Americans that inhabited the area, what became Bethesda Springs was first mentioned in the early 1830's when government workers took sick and a local guide informed them of the waters. By 1868, Col. Richard Dunbar had purchased the property from his sister in law Elizabeth Carney and launched the Bethesda Spring Water company, named after the pool of Bethesda in the Bible. He began what today is known as the Springs Era, transforming Waukesha into a world-renowned resort city. During the Depression, Bethesda Springs went into receivership and was purchased by the Chicago "Bon Ton" business which moved to Waukesha and continued to bottle the water through the 1970’s. Bethesda changed owners several times throughout the period spanning from the late 1970s to the 1990s. By 1997, Bethesda’s last owner went bankrupt and the bottling of water ceased.

19. Alma & Almanaris Springs

Alma and Almanaris springs were located on the grounds of the Park View Hotel, located on the Northside of St.Paul Avenue. This hotel would eventually become a home of the “Keeley Cure”, a nationwide treatment for alcoholics. There is some confusion as to whether or not there were actually two springs located on the property, as multiple maps and accounts only show one spring on the property, while others show that there were two springs. In either case, Almanaris spring would become yet another celebrated spring in Waukesha, with the water being sold and promoted as a cure for a wide variety of illnesses.

20. Glenn Spring

Glenn Spring was located on West Ave. next to Henk and Hygeia springs. Opened in 1875 by New York businessman J.K. Glenn, this little spring caused several controversies in Waukesha. The first was J.K. Glen's claim that his spring was the true source of the larger and more profitable Bethesda Spring.The second was during the early 1890's when the spring became part of the Great Pipeline Battle, to directly pump Waukesha spring water to the Chicago Colombian Exposition. The spring was purchased by James E. McElroy with the hope of pumping water from Hygiea Spring to Chicago for the World’s Colombian Exposition of 1893. The plan ultimately failed and the spring was sold, along with Hygeia Spring, to J.K. Anderson who incorporated the new Waukesha Water Company. Anderson opened the spring grounds for free to the community. The site remained through the end of the 1920's but was developed for residential homes after 1929. Today an alleyway, Glenwood Drive is a small reminder of the former Glenn Spring site.

21. Henk Mineral Spring

August Clemons Henk opened a mineral spring site here in 1881, part of the first wave of new spring businesses capitalizing on the growing industry of Waukesha. The site included a bottling plant, in addition to a spring house for visitors to 'take the water' directly from the spring. Bottled products included the bottled spring water, as well as other soda and mixer beverages. After August Henk's death in 1909, Henk Mineral Spring was passed onto his children. Attempts to expand and reorganize the Henk Mineral Spring, including a name change to Crystal Crown Mineral Spring Co., eventually failed and by 1922 the company went bankrupt. In 1924, the land and business were sold to A. A. Andrews who tore down the spring house and developed the land for other purposes.

22. Hygeia Spring

Hygeia Spring, named after the Greek Goddess of health, was located at the southwest corner of West and Wisconsin Avenues. Albert Carver and Edward Flannery opened the spring in 1872, later selling the spring to James C. McElroy.McElroy intended to create a pipeline from Hygeia Spring to the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, in order to provide Waukesha's renown spring water "directly from the source." While the village of Waukesha initially approved the pipeline, the community and other spring businesses successfully pressured village leaders to recind the approval. McElroy was determined to see his vision fulfilled and this resulted in what was referred to as the Great Pipeline Battle.

23. Plymouth Rock / Bandusia Spring

Plymouth Rock spring was located right across the street from Hygeia, Henk, and Glenn Springs, on the corner of Wisconsin and West Avenue. All of these springs, like the rest in Waukesha, were cold mineral springs used by many for drinking water. Plymouth Rock spring is perhaps one of the lesser-known springs of Waukesha. It was opened by local spring magnate William H. Anderson in 1893, and like most of Waukesha's many springs, it was claimed that drinking water from this spring cured multiple ailments such as diabetes and Bright's disease.

24. Reproduction Silurian Spring House

This replica of the Silurian Spring house was originally placed in downtown Waukesha, at the so-called Five Points intersection of Main, Broadway, and Grand Ave. It was later moved to the present location along the Fox River Walk as a reminder of the spring houses that once populated the city.

25. Bidwell Springs

The exact location of these springs is unknown, but the location noted is seen as lowland marshy areas on 1940 GIS Aerial view mapping. The 1937 Waukesha Freeman Special Edition mentioned, "Bidwell Springs, before their overflow wanders into Horeb Park, breed the only trout to be found in the city limits." The Bidwell property was located to the West and North of the intersection of Summit and Delafield.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Waukesha Springs Tour

Created by Nicki Ciurro on July 22nd 2022, 8:53:12 pm.

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Description

From 1868 - 1914 Waukesha was renown for its naturally occurring mineral springs. Across the United States and Europe, water treatment or hydropathy had gained a significant following as an alternative medicine. Both cool and hot water mineral springs were improved in cities and towns across the country, building a new wellness tourism industry. Waukesha became a destination during the summer season, with southerners particularly attracted to the milder northern climate. In Waukesha a shallow aquifer fed the springs, providing a cool crisp mineral water noted for its effervescence (bubbly) quality when fresh. Dozens of companies bought property, some with naturally occurring springs, and others simply digging wells. From simple pavilion structures, dozens of sites were improved across the city. By the turn of the century large hotels and resorts attracted thousands of tourists annually. Spring sites featured bath houses, spas, walking paths and greens space for their clientele. They also sponsored grand balls, outdoor concerts, and parades. The city was transformed each summer with thousands of visitors arriving via train and carriage. Note- this tour was created by a local historian in 2022. After a few locals reached out asking why there were so many unfinished draft entries around the city, the historian who created Clio spent part of a Sunday afternoon placing those entries into this tour.

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