Haunted Illinois: The Ghosts of the Original Springs Hotel

The Original Springs Hotel in Okawville, Illinois has a long history and some believe that long history left behind some interesting ghosts.

Today Okawville is best known for their water, which was once believed to have some type of healing powers. The water contained a high level of minerals including iron, which caused it to eat through metal. Tests revealed that the water was similar to other springs around the world, the only exception being that the springs weren't hot.

A local doctor ran some experiments of his own, and decided that it had some type of healing powers. By 1868 that doctor had opened his own bathhouse in the area. Just a few years later the railroad passed through the town, and as hotels began popping up, the popularity of the springs grew.

In 1884 things changed in Okawville when a woman arrived in town and discovered the healing powers of the water. She secured enough funding from her church, friends, and family members back home in St. Louis that they were able to build a large hotel in the town. The following year the Mineral Wells Hotel opened and was such a hit that it was enlarged before the next season. An accident in the new engine room for the bathhouse exploded during this time, causing the deaths of two workers. That was a small price to pay for the rapid expansion of the town, and the money that was coming in.

The small town of Okawville was quickly becoming a paradise for inflicted people. Travelers came from all over the world for the chance to dip into the water and cure their various ailments. At the same time, new hotels and businesses were turning up and changing the look and feel of the town. In 1891 the town experienced a tremendous fire that swept through the largest hotel in town, yet the owners persevered and rebuilt as quickly as possible.