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. 

Plymouth Rock spring opened to the public in July of 1893. It was owned by William H. Anderson, a man who was involved with several Waukesha springs. There was a hotel located on the property called the Plymouth Rock Hotel, a building which was formally known as the Hygeia Springs Hotel, as Hygeia spring was located right across the street. To protect the water from outside contamination and maintain the purity of the water, a spring house was built over the spring. The springhouse of Anderson's Plymouth Rock spring was unlike many of the other spring houses in the area. In Waukesha it was common to see large ornately built springhouses to both protect the water and to add to the beauty of the area. The Plymouth Rock spring house, however, was a large ordinary-looking building, without elaborate design or decoration. Descriptions given of the interior of the springhouse tell that the spring itself was enclosed by a wooden railing, and people could look down into it from an observation platform above. There was also seating inside. As with most of the springs in Waukesha, Anderson claimed that the water from his spring could cure ailments, and even all kidney, liver, or bladder diseases. Anderson himself lived at the Plymouth Rock Hotel through 1895, but his involvement in the Plymouth Rock spring ended in 1900 when he became manager of a different Waukesha spring. Plymouth Rock spring was renamed Bandusia when it was sold, and the spring would change hands a few times over the ensuing years but would remain open to the public. As the craze for Waukesha water died down, several of Waukesha's springs were closed and filled in. This was the fate for Plymouth Rock spring, as the hotel and spring were both torn down after 1915 and homes were built on the location. The living memory of this spring, however, persisted well into the 20th century. In 1968 an interview was conducted with Waukesha resident Dorothy Marvin, who remembered the spring and recalled how children ran around inside the large springhouse on hot days. Though nothing today remains of Plymouth Rock spring, its history isn't lost.

Waukesha County Democrat, Waukesha Wisconsin, August 5th, 1893

Schoenknect, John Martin. The Great Waukesha Springs Era 1868-1918. Waukesha, Wisconsin. 2003.

 Waukesha, Wisconsin, City Directory, 1915 

Sanborn Fire insurance maps