Boone County
Following the Civil War large numbers of people came to the Ozarks in search of "healing springs" to obtain physical and mental renewal and to escape the yellow-fever epidemics and cholera that scoured the Mississippi River valleys and inner cities. Nowhere was this infusion of people and capital more obvious than at Eureka Springs where within a year of its promotion as health resort a bustling city of several thousand people had arose on the steep hillsides and bluffs overlooking the springs. Other developers were soon trying to develop similar spring-based resorts from which to profit. All the developers needed was a spring known to have curative properties and in Boone County, Elixir Springs bore the right credentials. The resort was built in the narrow valley with the dwellings perched precariously on the sides of the hills atop timbers. The resort was a beautiful place ... until the flood 1883.
Springs of ArkansasPreserving the legacy of nature's marvelous works and wonders
Milum Spring
While not a healing spring we'd be amiss as being raised in the Mormon Church not to mention Milum Spring. The spring was first referred to as Beller's Spring or Beller's Stand in recognition of an early settler named Roy Beller who had a deer stand lying at the edge of the sprawling prairie surrounding the spring. This prairie known as Baker Prairie is from where the ill-fated Fancher-Baker wagon train of 1857 began its long trek westward to California. Gold fever had struck and many settlers from Marion, Carroll and the adjoining counties were pulling up stakes and heading west. Captain Alexander Fancher was the leader of the party and had made two prior trips to California. Captain John Twitty Baker had never made the trek but was well respected for his leadership and decision-making. For about a week the growing caravan camped at the Milum Spring awaiting the arrival of others and preparing themselves for the trek west. By the time they left Milum Spring they numbered 50 or more people with at least three ox wagons and more than 260 head of cattle. As they traveled west other families joined them so by the time they had left Arkansas there would be 138 settlers in the caravan, some 40 wagons and carriages, a thousand head of cattle and several hundred horses.
The overland trip went relatively smoothly until they arrived to Utah which was a under the control of Prophet Brigham Young and his fellow Mormons. The party anticipated selling and trading goods with the Mormons before continuing on their way but Mormons offered no welcome, , assistance, food or shelter to the passing caravan. Rather the party was advised under orders of the Nauvoo Legion Mormon Militia to relinquish their weapons in order to secure free passage. The following day on Friday, September 11, 1857 the entire party -- over 120 unarmed men. women and children -- were massacred in cold blood. Most of the victims were also scalped, mutilated and raped. Even the women and children were killed -- only 17 children younger than six years of age survived. The dead were left exposed to the elements until 18 months later, when U.S. Army Troops led by Major James H. Carleton buried the remains in several mass graves.
Not far from MIlum Spring along state highway 7 there stands a plaque erected in 1936 by the Arkansas Centennial Commission in recognition of the Fancher-Baker caravan that gathered here in 1857 (see below). There is also a monument commemorating Mountain Meadow Massacre in the town square of Harrison, Arkansas that was installed in 1955.
The overland trip went relatively smoothly until they arrived to Utah which was a under the control of Prophet Brigham Young and his fellow Mormons. The party anticipated selling and trading goods with the Mormons before continuing on their way but Mormons offered no welcome, , assistance, food or shelter to the passing caravan. Rather the party was advised under orders of the Nauvoo Legion Mormon Militia to relinquish their weapons in order to secure free passage. The following day on Friday, September 11, 1857 the entire party -- over 120 unarmed men. women and children -- were massacred in cold blood. Most of the victims were also scalped, mutilated and raped. Even the women and children were killed -- only 17 children younger than six years of age survived. The dead were left exposed to the elements until 18 months later, when U.S. Army Troops led by Major James H. Carleton buried the remains in several mass graves.
Not far from MIlum Spring along state highway 7 there stands a plaque erected in 1936 by the Arkansas Centennial Commission in recognition of the Fancher-Baker caravan that gathered here in 1857 (see below). There is also a monument commemorating Mountain Meadow Massacre in the town square of Harrison, Arkansas that was installed in 1955.