Three Sisters Springs Historical site was homesteaded by John McFadden in 1875. McFadden claimed that three springs on his property about twelve miles north of Hot Springs, Arkansas possessed healing properties. The springs’ name, “Three Sisters,” was said to have come from the fact McFadden had three daughters.
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The 3 Sisters Springs property changed hands in 1883 and was sold once again in 1904 to Robert Mooney. Throughout this time the springs were just open pools of water. In 1907, when Mooney sold out to W.M. Cecil and partners they began developing McFadden’s Three Sisters Springs Resort.
Cecil became the sole owner after buying out his partners In the mid-1930s. He made the area into a resort with cottages and a spring house and opened a bottling company, claiming each spring could cure a different set of diseases. He named his bottled product World’s Wonder Waters. The water was distributed throughout the United States. The cost of the water in 1927 was $.10 per bottle.
After the site underwent another ownership change in 1939, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acquired it in 1951 in conjunction with its Lake Ouachita construction project.
The lake was completed in 1951, but the lake was not dedicated and officially opened to the general public until 1955, when the nearby power plant was completed that year, the Corps of Engineers approached the state about establishing the state park as to preserve the “Three Sisters” springs, and the Corps leased to the Arkansas State Parks 360 acres, including the springs, for park development.
The plaques marking the 3 sister springs site tell you what ailments each spring was thought to cure.
Spring #1:
Brights Disease, diabetes, dropsy, pus in kidney, bladder and urethra, cystitis, enlarged prostate gland, paralysis, stones in kidney and other urinary troubles, changes of life and female irregularities, insommia, anemia, high or low blood pressure, gout, hyperacidity, rheumatism, arthritis.
Spring #2:
Chronic constipation, chronic indigestion, catarrh of stomach, excessive acid, gastritis, ulcerated stomach, poor assimilation and elimination, low blood pressure, gall stones, mucus colitis.
Spring #3:
High astringent, quite constipating used only for flux, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera-infantum and kindred troubles, bath for diabetic sores and eczema, granulated and sore eyes, catarrh of the head, nose and sinuses.
Three Sisters Springs are still free flowing natural spring flowing through
a separate area of natural stone but now redirected by the Army Corps
of Engineers to flow into one stream and into Lake Ouachita.
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