The Abandoned Chewaukla Bottling Factory Has Been Reclaimed By Arkansas Nature
Outside of Hot Springs resides a hauntingly beautiful factory in ruin. What was once a successful facility for natural spring water is now a piece of reclaimed nature. Although not much of the original building still stands, let’s take a quiet tour through around these somber grounds.
This tour is brought to us by our friends over at AbandonedAR. They travel to forgotten locations all over the state to preserve these places through historic documentation. They recently published a collection of their excursions that can be found right here.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The Chewaukla Bottling Factory was built in the 1930s but the lore surrounding the name dates back much further.
Chewaukla is Native American for "sleepy water." According to Quapaw legend, this name was given to a chief's daughter after she guided him to a cold water spring in the Valley of the Vapors. Although the different hot springs did not aid the chief, Chewaukla's cold spring healed his illness after a night of rest.
Since the mid-1800s, Chewaukla Spring has been known for its relaxing effect and mystical healing properties. As Hot Springs began to boom, Chicago investors built the Chewaukla Bottling Company near the spring.
Although the factory isn't known to be haunted, there's still a presence felt in the area.
This business was revered and more of a community gathering place than a mere factory. A park surrounded the building so that tourists would be able to sit and sip the fresh spring water.
It's not recorded when the business closed down but a fire did speed up the dilapidation process in the 1980s. Nature quickly reclaimed the factory. A large stone carving of Chewaukla still looks out from the facade.
It's difficult to believe now but the factory was once quite grand.
The building was constructed with a striking yellow brick and had marble floors throughout. Large windows invited tourists to watch the bottling process in action and large sliding doors made the factory rather avant-garde.
Many bottles and appliances are still intact inside what's left of the building, despite being closed for decades.
In addition to the main factory there are also two well houses.
The gazebos were not torched and have stayed impressively intact. Because of the thick brush between the buildings, it's difficult to see one from the other. All three structures feel isolating in the woods, despite being close to newer neighborhoods.
The wells are still intact and have stayed safe from the weathering process.
Both wells are made from quartz and white tile. Water is still at the very bottom of the wells but you may get a flashback from a certain horror movie when peering into abyss.
The factory is now owned by the state, with no plans to either preserve or demolish what's left of the buildings. Due to the potential hazard of the open wells and other risk factors we do not recommend an in-person visit.
You can take an even longer photo tour by reading AbandonedAR’s article over the Chewaukla Bottling Factory (they have drone footage too). We’d love to hear about your impressions of the factory as well as any ties you may have to this piece of history.
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
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