During the early twentieth century, Mississippi witnessed the emergence of a thriving spa culture, which attracted a wide array of visitors from across the globe, most coming to “take the waters” and enjoy various attractions. As many of these pleasure centers were located near sulfuric “therapeutic” wells, visitors often underwent numerous health-related remedies, from ingestion of the minerals to vigorous massage, as well as more pseudo-scientific procedures, such as the early twentieth century “electro-therapeutic” treatments of the Iuka Springs Hotel and Sanitorium.

Additional enticements frequently included well-appointed hotels with renowned restaurants, lively musical entertainments, as well as swimming, golf, and other physical activities. Although many of these spas ceased to function by the Great Depression, others, such as the famous Allison’s Wells, continued until the early 1960s, likely due to the ingenuity of the proprietors who branded the location as an “artists’ colony,” as well as a resort, in the late 1940s.

Featured in this display:

Brochure. Iuka Springs Hotel

Booklet. History of Cooper's Well (1923)

Pamphlets:

• Brown's Wells
• Tallaha Mineral Springs
• Arundel Lithia Springs Water

Illustration of Birtman "Static Machine" featured at the Iuka Springs Hotel

Brochures for spas and resorts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast (also called the "Mexican Gulf"):

• The White House, Biloxi
• The New Magnolia, "the ideal winter resort", Pass Christian
• Inn by the Sea, Pass Christian