Over the decades, many places have come and gone in the Magnolia State – and Stafford Springs is one of those places. At one time it was a popular spa resort that attracted people from near and far. Eventually, it closed down and went on to serve as a motor lodge and dude ranch. Today, it sits abandoned, withering away. Take a look:
As of today, a few abandoned buildings in Vossburg, MS are all that remain of the Stafford Springs resort.
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The resort was centered around an actual spring, which was discovered in the late 1800s by Captain Stafford, a Confederate officer. The spring was eventually named Stafford Springs in honor of the captain.
google.com The water had naturally occurring minerals in it, so it was thought to have curative powers. The Choctaw Indians referred to the spring as “Bogohama,” which means water of life.
By 1902, Stafford Springs Hotel was opened near the spring. Dubbed a “health resort,” people came from all over the world to bathe in and drink the water from the spring.
Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History The water wasn’t only available to the resort’s visitors, though. Jugs of water from the spring were sold all over the country – as far away as New York and California.
The resort was a success for a few decades; however, between the Great Depression and advances in modern medicine, people’s belief in the curative powers of spring water dwindled and, as a result, so did the resort’s popularity.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook In 1956, Stafford Springs Hotel was torn down. New owners purchased the property shortly after and converted the old resort into a motor lodge and dude ranch.
In addition to “year round air conditioning, room telephones, and super modern baths,” the new Stafford Springs featured a restaurant and pool.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
Its popularity didn’t last long, though, and Stafford Springs closed for the final time in the 1960s.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
In the years that followed, the property was used for a car dealership and then divided for neighborhoods. Today, a few buildings are the only remnants of Stafford Springs.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
A couple of bungalows are among the remaining buildings.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
The building that once housed the office and restaurant is also still standing.
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According to a Clarion Ledger article from 2015, the spring for which the resort was named still flows to this day.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
So, have you ever heard of Stafford Springs? Know of another interesting abandoned site? Tell us in the comments section.
Christopher C. Simmons/Facebook
google.com
The water had naturally occurring minerals in it, so it was thought to have curative powers. The Choctaw Indians referred to the spring as “Bogohama,” which means water of life.
Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History
The water wasn’t only available to the resort’s visitors, though. Jugs of water from the spring were sold all over the country – as far away as New York and California.
In 1956, Stafford Springs Hotel was torn down. New owners purchased the property shortly after and converted the old resort into a motor lodge and dude ranch.
Want to learn about another abandoned spot? Click here.
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