HISTORY IN FOCUS

Willow Springs Historical & Genealogical Society Museum

 

Owned and Operated by the Willow Springs Community Foundation

 

Hidden among the hills southwest of Willow Springs lies one of Howell County's most fascinating forgotten communities—Siloam Springs.

 

Known as "The Healing Waters" as early as 1817, the area attracted Shawnee, Delaware, and other Native American tribes who visited the springs to drink the mineral-rich water and hold ceremonies. As word spread, settlers began promoting the springs as a health destination. By 1879, Siloam Springs had grown into a thriving resort town complete with bathhouses, a tanning factory, blacksmith shop, sawmills, a school, church, cemetery, post office, and numerous businesses.  Visitors traveled from across the region seeking the benefits of the ten mineral springs, each believed to possess unique healing properties.

 

The community experienced its greatest period of growth in 1921 when N.O. Tate of Miami, Florida purchased 287 acres surrounding the springs. Tate envisioned transforming Siloam Springs into one of the premier health resorts in the Ozarks. He dammed streams to create lakes for fishing and boating, improved telephone service to West Plains, installed an electrical plant, and began construction of a grand hotel that would become the centerpiece of the resort.

 

Unfortunately, Tate overextended himself financially before the project could be completed. The unfinished hotel was purchased by Dr. John T. Woodruff of Springfield, a well-known lawyer, businessman, and developer. Woodruff completed the resort and opened the Pinebrook Inn in 1924, ushering in what many consider the golden age of Siloam Springs.

 

The Pinebrook Inn was among the most impressive resort hotels in southern Missouri. Built with locally milled oak and finished with a gleaming stucco exterior applied by an Italian mason, the building contained fifty guest rooms spread across multiple levels, including a full basement and attic. The large dining room featured a hand-painted frieze depicting Ozark scenery and local landmarks around the springs. Guests could enjoy mineral baths supplied directly from the springs, relax beside massive fireplaces, swim in the spring-fed pool, fish and boat on the resort lakes, or play a round on the remote nine-hole golf course.

 

One of the resort's most remarkable features was located in the basement. There, ten large bathtubs were installed, each connected directly to one of the ten numbered springs. Because each spring was believed to contain different mineral properties and healing qualities, guests could be prescribed baths from a specific spring depending upon the ailment they hoped to treat. The hotel also featured a drinking fountain where visitors could sample water from each of the springs without ever leaving the building.

 

Beginning in 1924, Siloam Springs water was bottled and shipped to customers in five states. To make travel easier, a hotel jitney—a four-cylinder REO Speedwagon—made two daily trips between Siloam Springs and West Plains, meeting trains arriving from St. Louis and Memphis and bringing visitors to the resort.

 

Despite its popularity, Pinebrook's success was relatively short-lived. The Great Depression dramatically reduced tourism, and the remote location became increasingly difficult to market as automobiles changed travel habits. At the same time, the springs that had made Siloam famous began to weaken. Years of excavation and attempts to increase water flow ultimately damaged the springs, and the once-famous healing waters gradually diminished. The Siloam Springs post office officially closed on March 21, 1969.

 

Though much of the original resort vanished, the Pinebrook Inn survived for decades as one of Howell County’s most recognizable landmarks. Over the years, the property passed through numerous owners, each with different dreams and plans for the historic building. The Pinebrook served at various times as a nursing home, hunting lodge, bed and breakfast, and even as a private residence for several families.

 

On the night of August 2, 2014, fire engulfed the historic lodge. Firefighters arriving on the scene found the structure already consumed by flames. Multiple area fire departments responded, but the fire spread too quickly to save the structure. Within a short time, one of Howell County's most recognizable historic landmarks was gone.

 

Museum Updates

Willow Springs Middle School History Club Visits the Museum

 

On Thursday, October 15, the Willow Springs Middle School History Club, made up of fifth- and sixth-grade students, paid a visit to the Willow Springs Historical and Genealogical Society Museum. The students had an excellent time exploring the collections, and their three favorite subjects were the Dr. Davis murder, Earl Shipley the clown, and the history of the Willow Springs schools.

 

Mrs. Amber Lewis and Mrs. Kelly Wardle recently reached out to the Willow Springs Historical and Genealogical Society about the creation of the club. I met with them to discuss the club and the many ways it could join forces with the museum.

 

When asked to share her thoughts on the new club, Mrs. Lewis stated:

 

“I love our town and its rich history. I have always enjoyed learning more about this beautiful place we are blessed to call home. We wanted to start this club as a way to allow students to learn about and be more involved in the community. Our club’s mission is to allow students the opportunity to discover, preserve, and celebrate our town’s unique history while also actively giving back through volunteer projects and community service.”

 

The History Club will work closely with the museum and the community on local community service projects, including helping care for some of our historic public places. Through the museum’s collections, students will also learn more about local history and the importance of being good stewards of our historic resources.

 

They will complete projects at school involving local history—and they might even teach the rest of us a thing or two about what they have learned!

 

We are extremely excited about this partnership and the opportunity to work with the Willow Springs School District on such a wonderful club. It is especially encouraging to see a new generation becoming interested in discovering, preserving, and sharing the history of the community they call home.

 

REMINDER: Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler YCC Reunion This Saturday, October 24th

 

The first-ever Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler Youth Conservation Corps Camp Reunion will be held Saturday, October 24, at 1:00 p.m. on the second floor of the Charles Ferguson Building, 127 N. Harris Street in Willow Springs. Hosted by the Willow Springs Historical and Genealogical Society and curator Alex Biehl, the reunion welcomes former campers, staff, Forest Service personnel, and their families. After the potluck and visiting, attendees will travel to the former camp to open its long-sealed time capsule for the first time in decades.

 

Museum Hours and Facebook Page Information 

Be sure to follow our Facebook page as well, where I post historic photographs daily. You can find us at www.facebook.com/WillowSpringsHistoricalAndGenealogicalSociety or scan the QR code provided in this column with your phone to visit the page. The museum is regularly open every Thursday from 1:00pm to 5:00 p.m. at 211 N. Harris Street in downtown Willow Springs.