“Taking the waters” – a physical experience of healing, cleansing and rejuvenation using natural spring water -- was a common pursuit following the Civil War. Health seekers sought out springs purported to have healing properties and during the 19th century many spas and resorts were developed to serve their needs, offering lodging, food and entertainment. In Bentonville such a resort could be found at Park Springs a popular watering hole a few blocks north of the town square. Park Springs offered a shaded glen, a cool hollow and crisp fresh water for community picnics, church socials, and family gatherings. Several Civil War veterans’ reunions were held at Park Springs including the 1893 Arkansas State Confederate Veterans' Reunion. Following the success and rapid growth of nearby Eureka Springs in the early 1880s many springs that had long been used solely as a source of water for livestock were all-at-once discovered to have healing properties. Park Springs water was found to be useful in the treatment of stomach and gastrointestinal inflictions and was often referred to as the “Stomach Spring”. A nearby smaller spring useful as a diuretic in the treatment of kidney and bladder diseases was known as “Kidney Spring”. Both springs were sought for their medicinal properties but Park Springs - the "Stomach Spring" - was the most heavily promoted. It was claimed that Park Springs’ water was rich in lithium and radium and was “simply delicious”. Prescribed for treating diabetes and rheumatism the radium in the water was described as “one of the greatest curative elements ever known”; and, water cures were attained by "drinking, inhalation of steam or vapors, douches, irrigation of accessible organs" and external application by shower, water pack, or bathing. Sometime in the early 1890’s a hotel and a few cottages were built on the property—most probably by the J. S. Dickson family and close associates -- to serve the needs of visitors needing accommodations. At the height of the spa season – July and August – and during Chautauqua assemblies the hotel was usually booked to capacity. In 1908 J. A. Hardy sued for the eviction of E. H. Howell who had been hired by Hardy to “take care of the furniture” at the hotel in order. Hardy claimed that he owned the 14 acres on which the springs, hotel and several cottages were sited and thus demanded full possession of these assets; however, the court found in favor of Mr. Howell and the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. In 1909 once the issue of ownership had been settled Hardy together with G. G. Sutherland, a St. Louis capitalist, J.G. McAndrew, a local banker, Dr. Z. T. Martin, and others formed a corporation “Park Springs Sanitarium” with a capital stock value of $50,000 to “engage in a general sanitarium business for cures at Bentonville”. Soon thereafter was leased and placed under the aegis of the American School of Osteopathy headed by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founding father of osteopathic medicine. Although the property was under leased and managed by officials of the American School of Osteopathy the enterprise at Park Springs was not part of the institution but rather was an independent business venture. Upon lease of the property the hotel became the A.T. Still Park Sanitarium with Still’s son, Charles. E. Still designated President and his nephew, Dr. E. H. Laughlin, the resident physician. Soliciting patients for the “care and treatment of nervous, mild mental cases and drug habitués” the A.T. Still Park Sanitarium was a relatively large facility equipped with steam heat and electrical lighting; water was supplied by one of four springs lying within the ten acre park surrounding the sanitarium (see Figure 2). The 42-room sanitarium could accommodate seventy-five to hundred people and there were six two room cottages for patients wishing more privacy. The guests at the sanitarium -- many sufferring from chronic neuromuscular and skeletal disorders – made use of nearly 4000 feet of walkways crisscrossing the property as part of their treatment regimen.





Day to day operations at the sanitarium were overseen by G.G. Sutherland and his wife. Part of their responsibility was assuring the guests were well fed and in pursuit of this endeavor they purchased a herd of Jersey cows. Jersey cows were renowned for their milk and butter and the Sutherlands put together a substantial herd of this then relatively rare breed of dairy cows. By 1911 – and with the purchase of a single Jersey bull for $10,000 from Dr. Still and Laughlin’s Kinloch Farm in Kirksville Missouri – the Sutherlands were thought to possess one of the most valuable herd of cows in Arkansas. Albeit the Sanitarium was widely promoted and many patients offered testament as to the health benefits that could be attained at the sanitarium a decision was made by the proprietors to relinquish the facility in favor of similar operations in Kirksville and St. Louis, Missouri. In 1912 the Park Spring Realty Company was chartered to engage in the liquidation of property with the Sutherlands, Dr. Z. T. Martin, and attorney W. A. Dickson serving as share-holders. In 1913 the Sanitarium surrounded its charter and the Park Spring Realty Company increased its capital stock from $25K to $75K after which the Sutherlands purchased the property – now 30 acres larger – and renamed the sanitarium as the Park Springs Hotel. Now promoted as a summer resort the hotel offered all the modern features of the time: steam heat, warm and cold water, electric lights, and fine dining and service. During this time there were a dance hall, playground equipment, horseback riding, and tennis court. A cement swimming pool with a deep end for swimming and diving and a shallow end for children and wading was also constructed. Off to the west side of the pool was some changing rooms, rough but suitable in offering privacy to those changing their clothes. The resort was a success and guests would often come and spend weeks, and even months, at the hotel. What was needed was a railroad so that visitors from afar could more easily make their way to the resort. An interurban rail line connecting Bentonville with the Frisco railroad depot in Rogers had been contemplated since the early 1900s but had never been pursued until Sutherland, together with Harvey L. Cross, the retired editor and owner of the Benton County Sun, put their full weight behind the project. Sutherland had served in the construction and paving of many roads and throughways in St. Louis Missouri and the needed leases, right-of-ways and permits for the interurban rail were quickly acquired. The train would provide passenger service from the depot in Rogers to the Park Springs resort with a stop at the Massey Hotel in downtown Bentonville. On July 1, 1914 the big red passenger coach trimmed in black with gold lettering and seating nearly 130 people arrived at the Park Springs depot (see Figure 4). This inaugural run would be the first of many as it was reported that over 70,000 passengers rode the train in its first year of service. The train ran hourly from early morning to late night stopping to pick up passengers almost anywhere along the line and whenever there was a ball game, fair, or carnival in either Bentonville or Rogers, the coach would be packed: standing room only.







  In 1914 the hotel and accompanying assets were leased to J.W. Campbell who had previously managed the Mountain Valley Springs Hotel north of Hot Springs. The new management advertised the radium spring water furnished at the hotel and bottled and shipped the water nationwide for those unable to visit personally. In 1915 George M. Crowder and wife Clara who had overseen the Massey Hotel assumed management of the resort and had a banner year but dark clouds were gathering. By the end of the year Mr. Sutherland had died, Park Springs Realty Company had surrendered its charter and the Frisco Railroad had significantly increased its lease rate for use of the rail line between Rogers and Bentonville. On June 11, 1916 – prior to height of the summer season -- the Frisco railroad ordered the Bentonville Park Springs Interurban off its tracks for non-payment of lease dues. In 1917 the Park Springs Hotel and property valued at over $40,000 was sold under foreclosure to Mrs. G. G. Sutherland and F. W. Fauerbacher for $7,000.00. Mr. Fauerbacher expressed an interest in buying out Mrs. Southerland, reestablishing the interurban rail route and keeping the hotel open year-round; but, it was George Crowder and his wife who took ownership of the property. Under the gracious care of the Crowders the resort sustained itself in the absence of rail service and the Crowders took possession of the property on April 23, 1920 with the requirement they were to carry fire insurance on the property until the mortgage was paid in full. On July 24, 1920, tragedy stuck when the newly acquired hotel caught on fire around noon. All the guests got out safely but lost all their belongings in the fire. The fire spread so fast that by the time the fire department arrived the building was totally consumed by flames. The next day the Crowders placed a sign in front of the hotel stating that a new hotel would be constructed and would reopen the next season (see Figure 5). In the interim they made use of the remaining cottages to retain some semblance of an on-going business; and, as they promise on June 3, 1921 the new hotel was open in time for the summer.





























The new hotel under the ownership of George and Clare Crowder had nearly 50 guest rooms all with hot and cold water; twenty-three of the rooms had private baths. The 2-story hotel had a large portico and more than 325 feet of veranda. New cottages were built on the 45 acre grounds and all the rooms and common areas were well appointed in their furnishings. One special feature was a drinking fountain located in the lobby of the hotel made of rough stone and surrounded by fernery. That first year the Crowders booked over 2000 guests from 13 different states with some type of amusement was provided for the guests each night. During the summer months an orchestra or band performed weekly at the dance pavilion – an event usually well attended. Clara Crowder was praised not only as being a wonderful hostess but also as a poet, writer, artist and business women -- it was Clara that chose the name for Bella Vista “Beautiful Valley” for the nearby retirement community that has retained the name to this day.











The continued success of Park Springs Hotel enticed C.D. Raney in 1922 to propose the building a new resort complex adjoining the Park Springs Hotel tract to be called “Nelogany Glen”. This beautifully shaded tract was purported to have upon it as many as 14 different springs all having healing properties, including the previously mentioned “Kidney Spring". The development was never realized. The ensuing depression was hard on the Crowders. George’s mental acuity was lapsing and under threats and harassment Clara left him. Following the repeal of prohibition in 1933 a nightclub, the Rendezvous, was established at the hotel and in 1937 Crowder was charged for murder in the death of Curtice T. Boren who died of injuries sustained at a nightclub. In a 4 a.m. confrontation between the two men Crowder struck Boren who fell and hit his head, dying a few hours later. Soon thereafter – and before he could face charges for second degree murder -- Crowder was killed by his 13-year-old son. Thereafter the hotel was used as a convalescent home for several years and then left sitting empty until it was purchased in 1940 by the Ozark Christian College previously of Harrison Arkansas. The first year was a bust as the struggling school had to close mid-semester for lack of money and credit. The trustees regrouped and hired evangelist F. W. Strong as President with the hope that he would be able to raise the $9,000 needed to complete purchase of the hotel. The hotel was also in need of repairs – the roof leaked, the building needed painting and had no central heating – wood stoves were used to heat the classrooms in the winter. The hotel had ample room for classes, chapel, dining room and lodging for the students – boys on first floor, married couples and girls on the second. With no credit available to them most of the food eaten by staff and students was grown and raised on the property – goats, chickens, cows provided a source of meat while a large garden and orchard provided fruits and vegetables. Students could cover half their tuition, room and board of $200.00 for 36-week course by simply working off their debt at 20 cents an hour with a 14 hour work week. In this manner – and with the entire staff working for no pay -- Within two years most of the school’s debts and had been paid off. Moreover, enrollment had increased to 26 students. Nevertheless, the endeavor failed short and was not self-sustaining. Following the graduation in the spring of 1942 the school again closed. The college opened for students again in June of 1942 with several new trustees now in control – many of those cast aside were upset that all vocational training would cease and students would no longer able to work off their debt to the school. Former trustees tried to take control of the school and facilities and filed a lawsuit in support of said endeavor, but lacking the $10,000 needed to buy out the college the judge declared the new leadership as the rightful owners of the college. The college tried to marshal on but with little support from local pastors and churches and housed in a building far bigger than their needs in the fall of 1944 the board of trustees decided to move the college again – this time to Joplin Missouri – proclaiming that the town of Bentonville “would never amount to much”. One can question the wisdom of this move given Bentonville’s preeminence today but nevertheless Ozark Christian College went on to become one of the largest undergraduate Bible colleges in the country. Thereafter the Park Springs Hotel was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Robbins and converted to apartments to be rented on a weekly or monthly basis. In 1947 the property exchanged hands again and Mr. and Mrs. Leland Treat who also intended to maintain the property as an apartment hotel. In 1962 the 40-year old hotel was purchased and run by Ruth Hunt as a nursing home for a few years before being torn down. Sometime thereafter the ownership of the property was attained by the city of Bentonville for use as a city park – a park that exists to this day