Springs of Arkansas helpful but not necessarily curative

Fresh, pure water burst from the side of the rock cliff as it drifted over the moss-covered rock and collected in the basin below. A torrent of pure, clean water that flowed even in the driest of times.

Springs, such as the Buckman spring located on Mount Magazine, were essential for the survival of the early pioneers who settled Arkansas. Finding a good, clean, healthy source of water was a prerequisite to the establishment of a farm. It was highly valued and sought after by settlers who understood that use of contaminated water was the major contributor to poor health and disease.

Precipitation is how water enters the soils, then it proceeds downward until it reaches a layer of rock it cannot penetrate. It then travels laterally and exits at breaks and crevasses in the rock layers, often forming small, clear pools of cold water.

Early settlers, such as the Buckman family, for whom the spring is named, would enlarge the basin collecting the water and often build a structure to protect the water source. They used the chilled water as a natural refrigerator. Milk, butter and perishable foods were stored inside the “spring” house.

Later, the Buckman family would establish a hotel and use the spring water not only for drinking, but to establish one of the first man-made swimming pools in western Arkansas.

A glimpse at an Arkansas map can attest to the importance of springs in the development of the state.

Mammoth Springs, found in Fulton County, is the largest in the state and puts out about 9 million gallons of water an hour. By comparison my hometown, populated by 3,500 people, uses about 3 million gallons of water daily. While a University of Arkansas geology student, divers were sent to explore the exit cave for Mammoth Springs and found the outflow so great they could not proceed into the huge fracture that formed the cave.

Sulphur Springs, Calumet Springs, and even Hot Springs claim to have dissolved minerals within them that contribute to the health and well-being of those who bathe in the springs. Even before settlers arrived, natives would soak in the springs to heal and refresh the body. Hot Springs, where dozens of springs with exiting water at 143 degrees Fahrenheit, has long been a therapeutic attraction for those seeking peace of mind and soul.

Sixty-two springs once flowed down the hillsides in Eureka Springs. Dr. Alvah Jackson, credited with first finding the springs, claimed the waters of the basin cured his chronic eye problems. After the Civil War, he bottled and sold the water as Dr. Jackson’s Eye Water.

Other individuals marketed water from nearby streams as curatives for everything from constipation to Diabetes. Dr. J. Van Brahana, professor emeritus of the University of Arkansas Department of Geosciences, has determined most of the springs are interconnected and contain several of the same components, but that they are not necessarily curative of ailments.

Water from the springs generally contain the same minerals as those that are found in the surrounding rock. If that is so, then rock near Mountain Valley in Hot Springs has exceptional minerals. Some of the best tasting water in the world, Mountain Valley Spring Water has bottled and sold water from their spring for more than 100 years.

I stand in the basin where the Buckman pool was once located. Cut, stacked sandstone rock covered by a thick layer of tar and pitch form sides of the pool. On the east end, I can still see where the old diving board once stood and to my right is the channel that delivered the cold water from the Buckman spring.

What a tremendous amount of work required just to obtain water! Turn on the faucet today and we are blessed with a good clean healthy water supply, a blessing we often take for granted.

Curtis Varnell, Ph.D., is a longtime teacher in the area, the author of several books on local history, a regular columnist on that topic and the science and social studies coordinator for the Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative at Branch. Email him at curtis.varnell@wscstarfish.com.

(Courtesy photo) Early settlers, like the Buckman family, for whom the Buckman spring is named, would enlarge the basin collecting the water and built a structure to protect the water source. They used the chilled water as a natural refrigerator. Milk, butter and perishable foods were stored inside the “spring” house. Their Inn is pictured here.