The Miracle Springs of the Columbia
Boosterism and health claims surround the discovery of sulfur springs at the Lower Cascades.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The mineral springs recently discovered at the base of the mountains on the Columbia River are a remarkable feature of Washington Territory. While springs have been found at various points along the river, they were until recently ignored. Last week, this writer visited the springs out of curiosity to ascertain if they possessed medicinal quality. The water, as it issues from the earth, is strongly impregnated with sulfur and magnesia. Mr. Snow, one of the proprietors who came from Nevada suffering with rheumatism, tried the water on himself and found relief from his malady. In all, about one hundred patients have visited the springs, some leaving their crutches behind as mementos. There are two large square baths and three single baths, with more on the way. The springs are situated two and a half miles from the landing at the Lower Cascades, accessible by a narrow-gauge railroad.
“Some of whom arrived on crutches, which they have left as mementos of their crippled condition.”
Long before the modern wellness industry, Washington’s frontier entrepreneurs were marketing remote geographic features as panaceas. The Lower Cascades, a major portage point in the 1880s, would eventually be eclipsed by rail expansion, leaving these 'miracle' baths to history.
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