White Springs
N 30° 19.784 W 082° 45.371
17R E 331169 N 3356630
The White Springs historical marker is located on U.S. Highway 41 near the town's water tower in White Springs, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM4MXE
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2008
Views: 27
The marker text reads as follows: "These sulphur springs were thought to have medicinal properties and were considered sacred by the Indians. Warriors wounded in battle reputedly were not attacked when they came here to recuperate. Settlers moved into the vicinity in 1826 and the springs became an antebellum resort noted for natural beauty and good cuisine. The village was a refuge during the War Between the States and many planters brought their families and slaves here for safety."
The following additional information about White Springs, Florida, is available from Wikipedia:
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828.
The White Sulphur Springs near the town were used before Europeans arrived, and in the 19th century became Florida's first tourist destination. The first purchases of land date from 1835, when Bryant and Elizabeth Sheffield bought land for a cotton plantation. The town was incorporated in 1885, and many of the original buildings still stand.
The songwriter Stephen Foster is remembered here at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park.