In 1833, Beersheba Cain found a mountain spring at the base of a summit along the Cumberland Plateau at the Collins River Valley. Like many other places where a spring was found, it didn't take long for the medicinal properties to be proclaimes and a resort town to "Sping up."
By 1857, local businessman John Armfield had bought all the surrounding property and had built the hotel seen here. It is quite a massive building and I couldn't step back any further without falling down into the valley.
Like most spring resorts, tourists stop coming in the early 1900s and business dried up. In 1941, the Methodists bought the complex and now use it as a retreat.
For the full story:
www.scribd.com/doc/2370867/A-History-of-Beersheba-Springs...
Also, here's an article and vintage photos from the Tennessee Archives website
http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/exhibits/tnresorts/beersheba.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment