Charming small towns abound in West Virginia, as do interesting town names. Many of our Mountain State communities are named for people: Morgantown for the Morgan Morgan family, Lewisburg for the Andrew Lewis family. Charles Town is named for George Washington’s brother Charles; Charleston is named for that city’s founder’s father Charles. And so it goes. But one small community on West Virginia’s eastern border is named for a princess: the fictional Indian princess Minnehaha. Welcome to the charming small town of Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia, a little community with an extra interesting past, all the way back to its name origins.
Once upon a time, thermal springs were sacred places - sacred to the American Indians. These mineral springs had healing properties. They were seen as neutral places where warriors could rest safely after a battle.
Interestingly, many springs in our modern day United States still bear names that hint at their significance to those who lived here in ancient times, perhaps because primitive stone tools and relics are often found next to them, reminding pioneers of those who had gone before. Such is true of Minnehaha Springs in eastern West Virginia, a small community founded near a refreshing mineral spring.
Minnehaha Springs is named for Minnehaha, a fictional Indian princess, created by Wordsworth in his poem about Hiawatha. But she is a fitting namesake for this particular West Virginia spring, the only springs (and springs town) in the country named after this maiden.
Pictured is the cabin of the family of an early resident of Minnehaha Springs, who, because the schools were segregated, schooled her children at home.
Once a prosperous resort town with its own water bottling company, hotel resort, and sportsmen's club complete with (believe it or not) a herd of elk imported from Yellowstone, Minnehaha Springs is now little more than a speck on the map.
Pictured here is a two room schoolhouse built in Minnehaha Springs at the height of its boom. However, none of the local one room schoolhouses were ready to merge into a single two room schoolhouse!
But there are a few remnants of the old days still, including beautiful mountain views, peaceful forests, and the springs themselves.
There's also a new draw: Camp Twin Creeks, which bills itself as West Virginia's best summer camp (for kids) and features the additional complex of the West Virginia Retreat Center (for other large group events).
And that’s the story of the town in West Virginia that’s named for an American Indian Princess. What’s more, Minnehaha Springs is located in Pocahontas County, which brings another famous Native American princess’s name into play. Not sure where Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia is? It’s just outside of Marlinton.
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