History of Minnehaha Springs

 

Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia is a small community located in Pocahontas County, about nine miles east of Marlinton. The community was founded in the early 1900s, after the discovery of a mineral spring on the property of the Lockridge family. The spring was named Minnehaha, after a Native American maiden in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Hiawatha."

The Lockridge family tested the water in 1891 and 1910, and found that it contained traces of many minerals, including iron, magnesium, and calcium. They believed that the water had medicinal properties, and they began to develop the property as a resort.

In 1912, the Minnehaha Springs Improvement Company was formed, and a bathing pool was opened to the public. A two-story hotel building was completed in 1914, and it quickly became a popular destination for tourists. The hotel had several owners over the years, and it was open only sporadically. It was destroyed by fire in 1945.

The Minnehaha Springs community also included a post office, two stores, two churches, and a summer camp. The summer camp, which was originally named Camp Minnehaha, was operated from as early as the 1930s. It is now named Twin Creeks, and it is co-ed.

Minnehaha Springs was once a thriving resort town, but it declined in popularity after the Second World War. The hotel burned down, and the community has never fully recovered. Today, Minnehaha Springs is a small, quiet community with a population of about 100 people. The summer camp is still in operation, and the mineral spring is still a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

The history of Minnehaha Springs is a story of both hope and decline. The community was founded on the promise of a healing spring, and it quickly became a popular destination for tourists. However, the town's popularity declined after the Second World War, and it has never fully recovered. Today, Minnehaha Springs is a small, quiet community, but it still retains its charm and history.