Institution

This spring was located in 1963 when the city of Waukesha built Fire Station #2 at the site of the former reception house for the Arcadian Spring. During construction, a spring was contained in the basement. It is uncertain where the source of the spring is from, but some believe it could be the nearby capped Arcadian Spring. When Fire Station #2 moved, the building was converted and the spring was used as a heating and cooling source for the headquarters of the Waukesha Housing Authority.The winning entry in a 2010 contest to name the spring was given by John Ward. His entry, Downie Spring, was in honor of the fire chief at the time of the construction of the fire station. Emery Downie was chief from 1945-1966.

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

Downie Spring

Following along Hartwell Avenue, this tour explores 10 of the spring sites on the east side of the city.  James K. Anderson, well known in the springs era, was involved with Silurian, Arcadian and Lithia Springs.  

Waukesha Springs Tour: Silurian to Arcadian

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.
 

Waukesha Springs Tour

Salesman Harry Dreyer and his wife, Minnie (Burrows) Dreyer purchased property at the corner of Hartwell Avenue and Fulton Street in Waukesha and built a home there in 1887. Their home burned down a year later. In the process of rebuilding, a spring was found on their property.The spring, named Sotarian Spring, was described as sitting 100 feet above the Fox River. Unlike other Waukesha springs that were within large parks, the Sotarian Spring was was located near the corner of the Dreyer lawn, surrounded by an iron fence. The spring was within a circular pit that was surrounded by a heart shaped basin. Sotarian Spring was considered to be the highest spring in Waukesha as well as one of the purist, because of its high location free from surface drainage and sewer contamination. At the time, it was claimed to relieve maladies such as liver and kidney complaints, dyspepsia, Bright's disease, and diabetes and urinal complaints.In an advertisement for the spring in the Polk's State Gazetteer in 1888-89, F. A. Merrill is listed as the proprietor of the spring. Merrill, a popular citizen and President of the Village of Waukesha at the time, was said to have been impressed by the large flow of water and it's clean bed. He tested the water and concluded that it should be placed on the market. To ensure the waters purity, it was shipped in lined barrel's to prevent the possible taste of wood.In a short article in the Waukesha Freeman in 1907, it stated that pipes were laid along Hartwell avenue to Arcadian and then over to a bottling house near the railroad tracks. This is believed to have been the original location of the Crystal Rock Spring Company, which was later used by Roxo making Sotarian Spring the first spring that the Roxo Company used.By 1967, the home the Deyer's had build was torn down and replaced with apartments. The Sotarian Spring survived this demolition and building and in 1998 was deeded to the City of Waukesha.

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.

Sotarian Spring

Known for providing the stone for Waukesha buildings and springs, in 1884 the quarrying company Hadfield and Co. purchased the Nelson Burrough property. They immediately began developing both the spring that was located on the property and the land around it into a park. A deer farm that opened near the spring in May of 1887 became an attraction for people, especially when a fawn was sighted.Seventeen years after being built, Hadfield and Co. platted the area into 15 lots and renamed the development Park Addition. All lots were eventually built upon, and the spring and park were no more.

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.

Mineral Spring Block

Named and owned by David Smeaton, a Waukesha businessman, the name Silurian come from the prehistoric sea that once covered the area. Smeaton owned the spring during the 1870's and steadily developed the spring site to attract the wellness tourists visiting the town each summer. Water from the Silurian spring was first marketed in 1871, however, the spring had been in use long before then.The first advertisements for Silurian appeared in the Waukesha Freeman newspaper in 1874. Early advertisements stressed the medicinal and curative properties of the water, with a 1875 advertisement claimed that the water could cure diabetes, headaches, chills, indigestion, and many more ailments.William A. Haslage of Pennsylvania came to Waukesha and Silurian Spring in 1879 in search of a cure for his diabetes. Impressed, and feeling his health improved, Haslage purchased the spring from Smeaton. Haslage then asked prominent Waukesha magnate James K. Anderson to be his partner in running the spring.Work began immediately in improving the spring and the grounds around it. In late 1879, the spring was dug deeper to allow it to flow more freely. A new spring house was built over the spring to protect the water from contamination. This spring house was the most magnificent in Waukesha at the time it was built. The land around the spring was developed into a beautiful park and buildings on the grounds consisted of a bottling house, office buildings, and a popular bathhouse.The partnership between Haslage and Anderson ended amicably in late 1880, with Haslage handling the business and Anderson working for him as the general agent. One innovation at Silurian during this time was the use of "block-tin pipe" to carry water underground to an indoor area to fill the barrels. Barrels were also lined with paraffin to insure that the water remained pure.By the next year, Haslage's health has declined and he died on December 25, 1881. The spring was then sold to Luther McConnell, of Chicago, in August of 1882. James Anderson continued on as a manager for a few years before his brother William Anderson assumed operations. It was during this decade the spring gained major fame and success. Popular concerts were held in the park, there were fireworks, music, food, drinks, and of course Silurian spring water. In 1885 there was even a roller coaster constructed on the grounds of the park. Large amounts of Silurian water, along with Ginger Ale and carbonated water were bottled from the spring and shipped across the world.In 1891, William Anderson resigned as manager and Lee S. Ovitt took over. By 1893, a huge casino and theatre were built right next to the spring with a stage that was 65 feet wide and the largest in the state. Elaborate plays and shows were put on in this theatre. Reports in 1895 told of Silurian having tennis courts. In 1896, a new machine was introduced in the bottling plant that killed all of the germs, sterilizing the bottles. Silurian sold aerated water, ginger ale, Silurian Vichy (water with vichy salts) and wild cherry phosphate.McConnell sold Silurian to Clinton Warren, a hotel magnate, in 1897. Business slowly began to deteriorate and no new improvements were made to the park. Warren had a rocky tenure in Waukesha and by the turn of the century events at the park were ceased. Warren chose instead to focus more on the bottling business and in 1902 Silurian products were included as natural mineral water, ginger ale, wild cherry, and orange phosphate.McConnell sold out in 1904. From that point on, Silurian slowly declined in stature. Frequent changes of ownership along with declining tourism to Waukesha’s springs in the later 1910s contributed to the park’s deterioration. In the 1920s, the original Silurian spring house was demolished, and a new fully enclosed polygonal concrete block structure was completed in 1927.The business lasted into the 1930s, and products were bottled under the name “Silver King.” Tile murals on the outside of the spring house depict Silver King products.The spring house has been restored several times and is usually open to the public a few times a year.In 1984, a replica of the original Silurian spring house was constructed in downtown Waukesha. This replica has been moved along the Fox River Walk, near the present site of Waukesha State Bank.

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.

Silurian Spring

Crystal Rock Mineral Springs began around 1903 and was incorporated in 1906 and its last entry in the city directory was in 1913. Edward Donahue was the president, L. Donahue the vice-president and P.H. Leininger the superintendent for the duration of Crystal Rock. In the 1903 Evening Wisconsin, the water from Crystal Rock is described as abundant and coming from a depth that insured purity. Its medical ingredients are touted for ailments, especially for urinary and digestive organ disorders. Crystal Rock Spring Co. employed a chemist to direct the manufacturing of drinks of ginger ale, celery tonic, and wild cherry phosphate.

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.

Crystal Rock and Hartwell Spring

Glenn Rock Mineral Spring was one of the earliest discovered springs, but it was not operated for a number of years. After gaining experience in water works in Minneapolis and Seattle, Col. Michael Glenn made his first visit to Waukesha to cure an ailment in 1884. His ailment was successfully cured, but he and his wife, Katherine, did not return to Waukesha to stay until 1903 when she was seriously ill.Shortly after moving to Waukesha, Glenn invested heavily in real estate becoming the largest property tax payer at one point. Glenn Rock Mineral Spring was one of his purchases, but it started out as a lease from owner J. Mc D Randles in July of 1905. Randals allowed Glenn to construct bottling and shipping buildings on the property and their agreement also allowed him to remove the pipeline conveying water from the spring to Gittner Lumber Company on Arcadian. The following year, Glenn purchased the property from Randles. A few years later, the 1907 Memoirs of Waukesha County talked of Glenn Rock Mineral Spring saying that it employed 8 men and was able to ship one car-load of bottles a week. Water from Glenn Rock Spring was advertised as pure and healthful as well as consisting of qualities that, when mixed with wine and liquor diluted their harmful effects giving the water "effervescent energy" too. His "Still and Carbonized Waters" were patented in 1907.In 1908, Glenn used his prior experience with water works and his experience as chair of the Hennepin County Board and ran for Mayor of Waukesha. He claimed that he had the expertise to refurbish the city's aging water system and he won the election. He was Waukesha's mayor until 1910 and left the city after his tenure. In April of 1910, the spring was leased to Deakin and Kiehl and by 1912 Glenn Rock Mineral Spring was sold to Martin Kroer, a wholesale grocery dealer. From 1912 through it's last listing in 1940, the spring was sold and renamed "Glenn Rock Waukesha Spring Company", Glenn Rock Springs Incorporated", and finally "Glenn Rock Springs Well".In the summer of 1955, the springhouse was torn down and the spring was capped. The location of the spring would have been behind the location of Glenn Rock Motors today.

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.

Glenn Rock 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.

Prairieville "Randles" Spring

James K. Anderson was a local magnate in the spring business around Waukesha. After working as the manager of Silurian spring, Anderson opened his own spring in 1884 at the foot of the hill on the corner of Arcadian and Hartwell Avenue, named Arcadian spring. Anderson constructed a handsome springhouse to protect the spring water and a limestone bottling plant as well. In 1885, a small booklet was produced by the company to promote the water. This booklet gave a detailed description of the water and bottling process. The water was carried to the bottling house by its own pressure, drawn by solid block tin pipes from the heart of the spring. The grounds around the spring were illuminated by electric lights as early as 1888. Anderson sold the spring to Henry Phelps in 1891, whose family added to the plant and continually upgraded the equipment. Arcadian water was bottled and used in ginger ale and many other beverages.Phelps sold the spring in 1918 to Albert Trostel of Milwaukee, who owned another Waukesha spring water business, the Roxo Company. Roxo began in 1907 and originally used water from Sotarian spring at the corner of Hartwell Ave. and McCall street. The combined companies operated in separate facilities for a time, but in 1929 an addition was built at the Arcadian plant and all operations moved there. By this time, Arcadian Spring was no longer being used to supply the water for the beverages and spring water. Crystal Rock spring on the North East corner of Waukesha Springs park was supplying the water.  In September of 1938, the Arcadian Springhouse was demolished, and the land was used for other purposes. This did not seem to affect the people of Waukesha, and when reporting on the event, the Waukesha Freeman Newspaper even called it a "relic of bygone days." Roxo continued on, and in 1935 the machinery in the plant was updated. It became one of the largest and most modern bottling plants in the city. Roxo became a successful business in the next few decades and Roxo beverages were bottled at the old Arcadian plant until 1967 when the company was bought out by one of the biggest and longest lasting spring businesses in the city, Bon-Ton / Bethesda. After this, all bottling of Roxo beverages took place at the Bethesda plant. The old Arcadian / Roxo bottling plant sat abandoned and deteriorating for a while, but was eventually converted into apartments. It still stands today across from the gas station on Arcadian Ave.

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.

Arcadian and Roxo Spring

The first mention of Lithia Springs was in the Waukesha Freeman on October 1, 1891 in an article letting residents know that what once was Hickory Grove tract, was now being developed as Lithia Springs. Lithia Springs was located just south of the railroad crossing between Hartwell Ave. and Rosemary St. at the bottom of the hill where the Resthaven Hotel (Ethos 360 today) was eventually located. It was in the midst of a grove of large native oaks and hickories neat the foot of the hill.

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.

Lithia Spring

The land that Hickory Grove Brewery was located on was on Main Street, east of Hartwell. This land was initially owned by Morris D. Cutler, a Waukesha pioneer, and was sold to Leonard Uhl and Christopher Kriener in October of 1867. Uhl sold his portion of the brewery to John Leonard Pappenheimer in 1871. Poppenheimer &amp; Kreiner, Brewers is a listing in the 1873 Wisconsin Business Directory. Kriener sold to John J. Plate in April of 1873, but not long after the property was sold by the sheriff to John Gredler in 1875.Gredler improved the property for summer nights festivals, which included a dance floor and a restaurant. The only mention of Hickory Grove Springs was in a newspaper clipping in the Waukesha Freeman where Gredler published a water analysis and summarized that the combination of minerals contained in the water in Hickory Grove Spring "was the same as the best springs in Waukesha".The name Hickory Grove continued when James K. Anderson, a well known name in Waukesha Springs, purchased a portion of the property including the residence in 1887. He remodeled it and added 6 acres of gardens and called his project "Hickory Grove Villa".

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.

Waukesha Springs Tour: Silurian to Arcadian

Downie Spring

Introduction

Backstory and Context

Sources