Published January 1964 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Room 342, Old Senate Building, Washington 25, D.C. Volume IV -- Number 5 1-31-64 BYRD'S EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD A WEALTH OF HEALTH IN WEST VIRGINIA MINERAL SPRINGS One of West Virginia's natural resources that has been little exploited is the wealth of mineral springs in the Mountain State. Although more than 200 such springs are found within our borders, only a handful have been developed commercially, and only one or two of these are well publicized resorts. Yet mineral springs have a world-wide and age-old popularity as a source of relief from many chronic ailments, and as a rejuvenating tonic for the wear and tear of daily life. Known from the earliest Colonial days, West Virginia's mineral springs first attracted the attention of elk and buffalo, then Indians, and later white settlers. Some legends locate the famous Fountain of Youth sought by the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in the Mountain State. Many illustrious Americans, from the time of George Washington to the present, have known and made enjoyable use of West Virginia's "bubbling waters," to which have been ascribed remarkable "cures" for arthritis, rheumatism, tuberculosis, alcoholism, etc. While medical opinion lacks irrefutable evidence in regard to the therapeutic effectiveness of mineral water, there is solid support for the general beneficial effects derived from visits to well organized resorts. The popularity of these resorts has been restrained in the past, by the difficulties of transportation for persons in a weakened condition. Today, with transportation no longer a problem, the opportunity exists for mineral spring resorts to develop and flourish all over the Mountain State. Most of our springs are located in Appalachian settings of great natural beauty, where the pure mountain air and the unspoiled woods and streams add to the restorative powers of the waters. The springs of West Virginia vary greatly in their chemical content and activity. Many are highly sulphureted as their names suggest. Some springs are highly carbonated, and are used in producing naturally bubbly soda water and ginger ale, which has been bottled and sold all over the world. Other spring resorts specialize in hydro-therapy for weakened muscles and nerves. The Federal Government recognized the value of mineral springs as a health adjunct over 130 years ago, when it established a Federally operated hot springs spa in the southern Appalachians. This spa is under the National Park Service today and, curiously enough, still maintains the practice of offering free baths to indigents "suffering from diseases that may reasonably be expected to be benefited by the baths." Only about a dozen of the springs in West Virginia are classified as "thermal"--that is, as having temperatures above that of the mean local temperature--but some of these range up to 82 degrees. The origin of our springs is, said by the U. S. Geological Survey to be meteoric, which means that surface water from the highlands passes through deep underground channels, travels over rocks heated by pressure from the overlying strata, and later emerges at a lower level. The ability of warm water to dissolve various minerals accounts for the high mineral content of the springs. As an attraction for tourists, properly developed mineral spring resorts could become an important source of revenue to West Virginia. The more intensively industrialized our nation becomes, the greater is the demand for sylvan retreats where body and soul can be nourished by the wellsprings of life, such as abound in West Virginia. -30-