A President Used To Live In This Tiny Georgia Town To Experience Its Healing Mineral Waters
The Roosevelt family is one of the most storied names in American history. Their lineage includes two presidents, numerous other political figures, socialites, and a First Lady. The Roosevelts hail from New York, and one of the family’s most famous members, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was born in Hyde Park in 1882. Despite his Empire State heritage, he was also quite closely associated with Georgia thanks to how much time he spent here. In fact, his residence here was known as the Little White House. FDR is so closely tied to the history of Warm Springs, Georgia, that it’s rare to hear the little town’s name without a reference to the president. These are the most famous mineral springs in Georgia thanks to their association with one of the most well-known names in American history.
Today, the city of Warm Springs has a population of under 450 residents. When first settled, it was known as Bullochville.
The city is home to mineral springs that remain a constant year-round temperature of around 90 °F. During Georgia's Yellow Fever epidemic of the 1800s, wealthy citizens of Savannah would vacation in the spa town to avoid the illness.
The city's most famous visitor was Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1921, he was diagnosed with polio and began visiting the mineral springs in Georgia shortly thereafter in an effort to regain mobility in his legs.
The area was still called Bentonville then, and it was actually Roosevelt who changed the town's name to Warm Springs. He was an avid visitor to the springs for many years, up until his death.
Roosevelt's cottage in Warm Springs was nicknamed the Little White House, and he passed away there in 1945. The home has now been converted into a museum that's set up exactly as it looked at the time of Roosevelt's death.
The mineral springs in the area are no longer available for public use, though they are used by the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation hospital for rehabilitation purposes.
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. Practically all of her free time is spent trapping and fixing stray cats. She also likes reading, playing Pokemon Go, and going to concerts. Her dog Cece is the best dog in the whole world. You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
