Saving the Springs of Saratoga

"The tranquil woods that surround you now once resembled an industrial park. The springs were exploited for their carbonic gas during the late 1800's and early 1900's...the amount of water being pumped from the ground eventually took its toll on the quality and flow of the mineral springs of Saratoga, and they began to run dry. A local Committee of Concerned Citizens successfully lobbied the state legislature for the preservation of the Springs, resulting in the Anti-Pumping Act of 1908...The gas companies were shut down and many of the wells were capped. It took many years for the remaining springs to regain their flow." – From an interpretive marker in Saratoga Spa State Park, New York

As I have become more interested in the history of Florida's springs, I've been particularly fascinated with the guilded age practice of "taking the waters" for improved health and rejuvenation. "The centuries-old act of bathing, soaking, or ingesting mineral-rich spring or seawater to cure a broad range of ailments, such as arthritis, rheumatism, and various aches and pains" was in vogue at springs in the late 19th and early 20th century.


I'm not sure exactly where the practice originated in the United States, but it surely had its roots in Europe, where towns like Baden-Baden in Germany, Bath in England and Spa in Belgium were known throughout the world for their water therapies. One of the most popular spots to take the waters in the early days of the United States was Saratoga Springs, New York. 


As in Florida, the Native Americans of the region revered the springs and the springs of Saratoga were not discovered by people of European descent until the late 18th century. By the early 1800s, hotels had been built near the springs for visitors seeking the therapeutic qualities of the water. Soon large scale resorts catering to wealthy tourists were developed, including two of the largest hotels in the world at the time. Similar Victorian-era spas were also developed in Florida at places like Green Cove Springs, Suwannee Springs and White Sulfur Springs.

Green Cove Springs, FL (State Archives of Florida)

Hampton Springs, FL (State Archives of Florida)

Like the springs in Florida, the springs waters of New York are a constant cold temperature (in this case 55 degrees compared to the 72 degree temperature of those in Florida.) Some of Saratoga's springs were "sprouters" that rise dramatically in the air like a geyser. All of the Saratoga springs have a high mineral content and are naturally carbonated, a fact that ultimately put them at risk.

Geyser Island Spring, located in Saratoga Spa State Park,
is a "sprouter"  on an island of minerals.

According to a display at the town's history museum, bottlers of soda pop at the start of the 20th century hired "companies to extract carbon dioxide gas from the mineral springs" causing the "depletion of the springs by over pumping." According to text on a separate exhibit at the town's visitors center, a single company might pump up to 400,000 gallons a day just to extract the gas and then merely dump the spring water on the ground. After the State assumed control of the 155 springs in 1909, all but 18 were sealed. The surviving springs are located in three areas, the Congress Park and High Rock Area near Saratoga Spring's downtown, and the spa complex today known as Saratoga Spa State Park. The later was developed by FDR as one of the first projects of the New Deal in 1929.

Congress Spring, said to be the "most famous of all of Saratoga's mineral waters",
was once "bottled and sold around the world."

Detail of Congress Spring tap; I wonder if the presence
of algae indicates contemporary water quality issues... 

Deer Park Spring emanates from this beautiful Victorian structure.

Hathorn Springs is a recently restored addition to the Congress Park area

Text on a tableau of one of the New Deal era buildings of Saratoga Spa State Park

While some of the structures are in wonderful condition,
others are in dire need of restoration

Art Deco relief on the pediment of Roosevelt Baths

Administration Building at Saratoga Spa State Park

Orenda Spring is said to have high iron content and is good for "strong blood"

The overflow from Orenda Spring forms this mound of hardened minerals

The high mineral content is obvious in spring

Sarasota Springs locals still swear by the medicinal value of the water
and fill water jugs from their favorite springs

I visited Saratoga Springs on two occasions on my recent vacation, stopping first at Saratoga Spa State Park and then making a separate pilgrimage to Congress Park to learn more. Despite the physical differences between the geology of the springs in Florida and Saratoga Springs, I found a common history and a common challenge. Overuse threatens the springs of Florida like they did in Saratoga Springs over 100 years ago. I was encouraged to read about the "Committee of Concerned Citizens" that came together to save these pure waters a century ago. Surely the concerned citizens of Florida can do the same in the 21st century.

Old World meets New Age at Warm Mineral Springs

Despite living in a state surrounded by water, it had been so long since I last went swimming that I couldn't even find a bathing suit in my wardrobe. So perhaps I was a little giddy to be back in the water again. Or maybe, just maybe, Warm Mineral Springs really is the Fountain of Youth, and I was deliriously enjoying the effects. As I dog paddled around the circular spring, I felt incredibly happy, unusually buoyant, and at peace despite being surrounded by dozens of health seeking strangers.

I first heard of Warm Mineral Springs in my quest to discover all the places that claimed to be Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth throughout the state. That was a couple years ago, so perhaps my excitement at touching the 87 degree water was fulfilling a long anticipated desire to bathe in the legendary waters. Obviously a bigger deal in the 1960s, Warm Mineral Springs appeared to be the epicenter of Florida's 1960 Quadricentennial, according to pictures I found in the State Archives. And after purchasing a brochure on eBay that promoted the sale of lots around the Springs, it is clear that a mid-century Florida developer had big dreams for this piece of Sarasota County. This excellent blog details the Spring's history.

State Archives of Florida

Rendering by noted illustrator Russ Smiley shows the developer's master plan

Today it's hard to miss the Springs from U.S. 41 near North Port Florida. A large, alien-like sculpture that was probably the focal point for the housing development around the springs, creates a sense of arrival as it straddles the median of the road leading to the famed water feature. Nearby a wonderfully designed mid-century motel flies flags from Europe next to Old Glory, as the spring has come to cater to a decidely old world crowd. And if you miss the large sign for the motel, there is a huge arrow pointing the way to the springs.

The motel was designed by Sarasota School architect Victor Lundy

As you approach the Springs, it's clear that the housing development never quite reached its potential, and the houses look a little worn and modest in comparison with the McMansions of 21st century Florida. Halfway down the road is another well-designed mid-century structure that is in dire need of restoration. When I finally reached the springs, I was surprised at the large number of cars in the parking lot on this beautifully warm February day.

The buildings all still have a classic 1950's look although it's clear that the company that owns it has put effort into branding the old attraction for today's health conscious spa goer. Signs all over the property reinforce the benefits of the mineral laden waters. It was $20 to get in the water, and I wasn't going to miss it. Mrs. Ephemera decided to sit this one out, electing instead to hang out in the groovy little cafe, curled up in a book, while I regained my youth.

I found the objects from this vintage postcard (center), including several sculpted figures, relocated throughout the property

Patrons staked out turf around the spring and there were several ramps leading into the water which felt surprisingly chilly at first. The water wasn't crystal clear like most Florida Springs but was pale green and had a bit of a sulphurous odor. A floating rope separated the wading area from the swimming area and the spring was crowded with folks of all ages moving through the water in a clockwise direction. Piped-in classical music made for quite the surreal setting and soon the aquarobics class started and up tempo tunes filled the air. Aside from the modern exercise, it felt as if I was otherwise transported into the Victorian age, "taking the waters" at one of Florida's famed healing springs.

I floated on my back, dodging the occasional ball of algae, a sign that not even the Fountain of Youth is exempt from our state's water quality issues. I felt as if I could float for hours, and would have except for my respect for Mrs. Ephemera's generous patience. After a great little lunch, I stopped in the gift shop and bought a plastic bottle of the legendary water (almost $10.) It appears that one of the minerals in high concentration in the water is magnesium, and the water is sold as laxative. Maybe that explains its wondrous powers...

Plaque reads: "THE ORIGINAL FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
ACCORDING TO AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, THIS WARM SALT SPRING IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH VAINLY SOUGHT BY PONCE DE LEON. HIS SEARCH FOR IT LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF FLORIDA ON EASTER SUNDAY 1513 ... IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT FOR MANY CENTURIES FIRST INDIANS AND LATER WHITE MEN JOURNEYED MANY MILES IN SEARCH OF THEIR HEALTH AND WELL BEING BY BATHING IN AND DRINKING THESE WATERS ... AFTER MANY YEARS OF RESEARCH STUDYING DOCUMENTS AND MAPS IN THIS COUNTRY AND ABROAD, JONAS E. MILLER OF WASHINGTON D.C. WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE ABOVE FACTS. HE DISCOVERED THIS SPRING AS THE ORIGINAL FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IN FEBRUARY 1942."

The owners of the Spring, while marketing their property as a full service spa with a new age vibe, are playing up the Fountain of Youth angle, perhaps in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's landing in Florida in 1513.