Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee
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City Hall
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Location of Red Boiling Springs in Macon County, Tennessee.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Macon |
| Established | 1820s |
| Incorporated | 1953 |
| Named for | Area mineral springs |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.75 sq mi (4.53 km2) |
| • Land | 1.75 sq mi (4.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 771 ft (235 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,205 |
| • Density | 688.57/sq mi (265.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37150
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| Area code(s) | 615 |
| FIPS code | 47-62000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1299039 |
| Website | www.redboilingspringstn.com |
Red Boiling Springs is a small city in Macon County, Tennessee, United States. In 2020, about 1,200 people lived there. This city is famous for its natural mineral springs, which once attracted many visitors looking for health benefits and a fun getaway.
History of Red Boiling Springs
Early Days and Founding
Long ago, this area was called Salt Lick Creek. This was because of a salt lick nearby, which is a place where animals go to lick salt from the ground. Many animals came here, and so did Native Americans and other people who hunted them. Even the famous explorer Daniel Boone reportedly visited and carved his name into a beech tree in 1775.
The first land grants were given out in the 1780s. A post office opened in 1829, named Salt Lick Creek. Later, in 1847, it was renamed "Red Boiling Springs." This new name came from a farmer named Jesse Jones. In the 1830s, he noticed red-colored sulfur water bubbling up from springs on his farm. In 1844, a smart businessman named Samuel Hare bought land around these springs and built an inn. However, the area was very remote, and the inn didn't last long.
Becoming a Tourist Hotspot
Things changed in 1873 when a stagecoach line connected Red Boiling Springs to Gallatin, which had a railroad. This made it easier for people to visit. By 1876, a local store owner, James Bennett, built a new hotel. It had log cabins and a central dining hall. Newspapers in Nashville started writing about Bennett's hotel, as it was popular for wealthy people to visit resorts during the Gilded Age.
The 1880s were a big time for mineral springs resorts, like Saratoga Springs. A New York businessman, James F. O. Shaugnesy, bought the springs in Red Boiling Springs and started developing the area as a resort. In 1889, former Tennessee Governor John C. Brown sadly passed away at one of the hotels. Newspapers highlighted how isolated the town was, with no telephone or telegraph to call for help.
Later, a railroad line reached Hartsville, and a stagecoach line connected it to Red Boiling Springs. More visitors came, and two local store owners, Zack and Clay Cloyd, opened the Cloyd Hotel.
By 1916, a company called the Red Boiling Springs Water and Realty Company had built a fancy 64-room hotel called "The Palace." Roads improved, and cars replaced stagecoaches, making travel faster. By 1918, there were four main hotels: the Palace, the Cloyd, the Donoho, and the Central Hotel. A decade later, this number doubled, and soon there were over a dozen hotels and many boarding houses. They all looked similar, with two stories, elegant porches, and large dining halls.
Red Boiling Springs kept attracting visitors even when other mineral water resorts became less popular. It was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Many famous people visited, including judges, lawyers, business leaders, musicians, and politicians like Jo Byrns, Al Gore, Sr., Nathan Bachman, and even President Woodrow Wilson. Even during the Great Depression, when many people had less money, Red Boiling Springs was still busy. In the summer of 1936, over 14,000 people visited the small town.
The Mineral Springs and Resort Life
Red Boiling Springs is special because it has five different types of mineral waters. These waters get their minerals, like iron sulfate, from black shale rock underground. Some springs were named for the color they turned a silver coin. The "Red" and "Black" waters were piped throughout the town to public and private wells with hand pumps. Both had iron and sulfur, plus calcium and magnesium. The "Red" water tasted a bit like sulfur, but many people liked it. The "Black" water had a very strong taste that was hard to get used to. "White" water was used for stomach problems. "Freestone" water had no special minerals but tasted the best. The most mineralized water, "Double and Twist," was named for its strong effect on those who drank it. It was advertised as unique in the United States.
"Taking the waters" meant more than just drinking them. People also took steam and tub baths with the mineral waters, believing they had healing powers. The bathhouses followed a special hydrotherapy plan, popular at the time. The waters smelled like rotten eggs because of the sulfur. Doctors were available to suggest treatments for different problems. People believed the mineral waters could help with issues like indigestion, swelling, diabetes, rheumatism, nerve pain, kidney stones, and skin or eye problems. An old advertisement even claimed that people who lived there year-round rarely got sick!
As the resort grew, it hosted many fun activities, more than you'd expect for a small town. There were bowling alleys, tennis courts, shuffleboard, croquet, a ballroom, swimming pools, a small golf course, a theater, and even an amusement park. Hotels also offered picnics and barbecues. Dancing was very popular at night, with many hotels having their own orchestras. String bands also played music at the many taverns around town.
Decline of the Resort Era
Several things caused the town's popularity as a resort to fade. People started to lose faith in the healing powers of mineral waters as medical science advanced. New highways made travel easier, but also meant people could go to many other places, like new state parks. The people who had promoted tourism in Red Boiling Springs retired or passed away, and the next generation wasn't as interested. Some hotels were not kept up well, and many burned down and were not rebuilt. The town's remote location, combined with World War II and gasoline rationing, also made it harder for tourists to visit. Tourism in Tennessee shifted to places like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
By the time the war ended, most hotels had closed, and the area was much quieter. There was a small comeback in the 1950s. The town officially became a city on April 27, 1953. A booster club formed, two hotels were restored, and new attractions were added. However, by the early 1960s, only five hotels remained, and by the end of the decade, only three. One hotel was lost to a fire, and a nursing home was later built on its site.
The 1969 Flood and Recovery
On the morning of June 23, 1969, heavy rain caused a terrible flood. In just six hours, the entire Salt Lick Valley was underwater. Reports said 10 inches of rain fell in that short time. Many businesses and homes were badly damaged or destroyed. A Trailways bus was even swept about 500 feet into a bridge. Whole houses and cars floated through town.
This flood was a very sad event for the community. Two young sisters, Renah Louise Bilbrey (8) and Jennifer Rae Bilbrey (2), were lost in the flood. Their family and town residents searched for them. Years later, a documentary about the flood was made by Nashville Channel 4 WSMV, which won an Emmy award. Two songs were also written about the tragedy.
After the flood, the community worked hard to rebuild. State and Federal money helped businesses and residents. Dams were built to prevent future floods, and one dam was named in memory of the young victims. By the late 1970s, the town began to focus on its history again to attract tourists on a smaller scale. Two covered bridges were built, and parks were developed. A library was later built where a former hotel once stood. In the early 2000s, a park was built near the site of the victims' home and named in their memory, with a dedication ceremony honoring their family and the rescue workers.
Red Boiling Springs Today
At the start of the 21st century, a large water bottling plant was built by Nestlé on the edge of town. This plant bottles water from Bennet Hill Springs, which is a source of Freestone water. Interestingly, the plant removes all the natural minerals from the water and then adds a specific mix of minerals back in to make it taste consistent.
The old hand pumps for the mineral waters on public land were made unusable due to safety concerns. However, you can still see hand pumps on private properties around town, and some people still believe in the healing powers of the mineral waters. As of 2010, three historic hotels were still open. The Armour Hotel even offered steam treatments, mineral tub baths, and therapeutic massage.
One of the surviving hotels, now known as The Thomas House, has changed names and survived two fires. It became famous in the early 2010s after being featured on the SyFy channel show Ghost Hunters. Now, monthly "ghost hunts" are a popular tourist attraction there.
Geography
Red Boiling Springs is located at 36°31′57″N 85°50′59″W / 36.53250°N 85.84972°W. The city covers about 1.4 square miles (3.6 square kilometers), and all of it is land.
Population and People
Here's how the population of Red Boiling Springs has changed over the years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 597 | — | |
| 1970 | 726 | 21.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,173 | 61.6% | |
| 1990 | 905 | −22.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,023 | 13.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,112 | 8.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,205 | 8.4% | |
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In 2020, there were 1,205 people living in Red Boiling Springs. There were 463 households and 329 families. Most residents were White (non-Hispanic), making up about 89.79% of the population. Other groups included Black or African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of mixed races. About 5.15% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Education
Red Boiling Springs School is a K-12 public school. It is managed by the Macon County School System. The school has about 671 students and 41 teachers, meaning there are about 16 students for every teacher.
The school offers several sports for students:
Festivals and Fun Attractions
Red Boiling Springs hosts several exciting events each year:
- Folk Medicine Festival: On the first Saturday in June, this festival takes place in the city parks along Salt Lick Creek. It's all about sharing old traditions, from natural healing arts to home and farm skills.
- The Summer Solstice: This is one of Tennessee's biggest annual festivals, attracting around 2,000 people! For three days, people camp on an organic farm, listen to live music, and enjoy fresh organic food. It celebrates the first day of summer, usually held the weekend after the actual solstice.
- Annual Duck Day Fun-Raiser Festival: The Red Boiling Springs Volunteer Fire Department hosts this event on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. It starts at 10 AM at The Palace Park. The highlight is when rubber duckies are released to race down Salt Lick Creek at 2 PM! The festival also has music, local vendors selling crafts and food, games, and family fun. Funds raised help people in need and support projects for youth and the elderly. You can follow them on Facebook for updates and to "adopt" a racing ducky.
- Antique Car Show: The Middle Tennessee Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America holds its antique car show here every year. It's always on the first Friday and Saturday after Labor Day, held on the lawn of The Thomas House Hotel. This event has been happening for over 50 years!
- How'd Dey Do Dat? Day: This rural heritage celebration is held on the third Saturday in October, just outside the city limits on the Ritter Farm. It features demonstrations of "old time skills" like blacksmithing, grist milling, horse-drawn equipment, quilting, and candle making.
- Ghost Hunt Weekends: The Thomas House Hotel is famous for its year-round Ghost Hunt Weekends. Guests can search for clues about paranormal activity with celebrity ghost hunters while staying and eating at this historic hotel.
See also
In Spanish: Red Boiling Springs para niños
