You may recall my talking about Monterey, Tennessee’s history as a resort town. Well, just sixty miles northwest sits “a resort nationally known for the health restoring properties of mineral waters”. Red Boiling Springs has four types of water, each of which was historically prescribed for different conditions. This unique medicinal nature of the geography brought about one thousand people into town each year.

The Armour HotelBuilt in 1924 as The Counts Hotel, this brick building was rescued from deteriorating conditions in the late 1990's.  It is open today for year round enjoyment. Visit their site at www.ArmoursHotel.com — The Armour Hotel
Built in 1924 as The Counts Hotel, this brick building was rescued from deteriorating conditions in the late 1990's. It is open today for year round enjoyment.
Visit their site at www.ArmoursHotel.com

Tourism led the people of Red Boiling Springs to provide accommodations unheard of in most rural community and many small Tennessee towns of the 1940’s. “Electric lights, an up-to-date water system, good highways, local doctors, drugstore and other similar modern provisions await the arrival of guests each month.”

The commercial aspect of Red Boiling Springs began in the mid-1840’s with the first inn being built by Samuel Hare. By 1873 a stagecoach line had been established to deliver tourists from Gallatin which is located forty miles away and held the nearest railroad stop. Then in the 1890’s a railroad spur was built to Hartsville and the stagecoach ride shortened to about twenty-five miles. Doctors in town would prescribe the specific water your condition needed and how it was to be “taken”. In addition to ingesting the water, there were bathing and steam options.

The Thomas HotelBuilt in 1890, this hotel sits on the edge of Red Boiling Springs' city limits.It is open today, serving home cooked meals in a 125 seat dining room and still offering the use of expansive lawns for games and relaxation.http://www.th… — The Thomas Hotel
Built in 1890, this hotel sits on the edge of Red Boiling Springs' city limits.
It is open today, serving home cooked meals in a 125 seat dining room and still offering the use of expansive lawns for games and relaxation.
http://www.thomashousehotel.com

While I didn’t find an exact number of hotels in operation in the heyday of the mineral springs, it appears there were at least five or six and they are big things, boasting fifty or sixty rooms. Today there appear to still be three of the original hotels in operation and I have to tell you an overnight visit there has got to go on my bucket list for they appear to still be decorated with antique furnishings and memorabilia. Moreover, at least one of them, The Armour Hotel still offers the steam treatment and mineral baths. I’m including “then and now” pictures of the three hotels pictured in the book along with links to their websites.

Donoho HotelBuilt in 1916, this hotel replaced another which had been built in 1901 but burned in 1915.No mention is made of the house in the foreground of this picture, but Wikipedia discusses The Donoho House which was built for the hotel's manage… — Donoho Hotel
Built in 1916, this hotel replaced another which had been built in 1901 but burned in 1915.
No mention is made of the house in the foreground of this picture, but Wikipedia discusses The Donoho House which was built for the hotel's management and I wonder if that is what is pictured here.
The hotel is open today; they have a Facebook page but I couldn't find a website.
https://www.facebook.com/thedonohohotel

Sadly, the years of gasoline rationing took their toll on this remote resort and after the war the town never recovered. The article in The March of Progress booklet does not seem interested in recruiting industry to the town and I can’t help but wonder if the author of this article felt sure that the tourists would return when the economy recovered from The Great Depression.

Today, there is still industry and employment surrounding the magic waters of Red Boiling Springs just now in bottled form. Nestle is bottling the freestone water - after they remove all the minerals from it.

The county seat for Macon County is Lafayette, just twelve miles west of Red Boiling Springs. While the very short article on Lafayette boasts that Macon County has the largest number of hotels of any county in the state “on a population basis” and it also promotes a “new, commodious” hotel in town, there is still no solicitation for new industry. The short article is followed by details on the benefits of raising sheep in Tennessee.