Blue Spring Heritage Center —  a must-see of the Ozarks

EUREKA SPRINGS —  For a peaceful, tranquil visit into nature, one must visit the Blue Spring Heritage Center at Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Easy walking and wheelchair access paths take you by woodland gardens, a White River Viewing Area, an old mill and dam site as well as a historic Indian Bluff Shelter and to the infamous spring where 38 million gallons of water flow every day.

The Cross family of Cornerstone Bank fame gained the property in 2003 when the owners walked away. John Cross, Jr. is the director of operations and he admits keeping up with the three miles of shoreline, 20 acres of gardens and 250 total acres of property is quite a daily job. But the beauty and uniqueness of the spring attracts thousands of visitors every year and is a great place to host weddings and special events.

Eureka Springs local historian and banker, John Cross, Sr. said, “Blue Spring was the last stand of the Native American Indians in this area. It was an American Trading Post where the Native Americans made and traded items to both trappers and hunters, who then floated their furs, bear oil and beeswax down the White River to New Orleans. Because of the fine, strong boats the Native Americans made, they were locally called the ‘Strongboat Indians.’”

The azure blue, 54-degree, pure water flows into the White River and eventually Table Rock Lake. The spring has been verified to have some of the purest water in the region from an unknown origin. In 2003 the Bluff Shelter was added to the National Historic Registry. 

In 1971, Archaeologist Robert G. Chenall of the University of Arkansas did an archaeological dig with several students in the Bluff Shelter area, digging up artifacts dating back 10,000 years which were from the Cave People or Bluff Shelter People, who were there long before Native Americans.

In May 1955, an “old timer” with the Chamber of Commerce, Sam Leath wrote in an article for the Ozarks Mountaineer stating, “No less than 14 Indian Tribes lived around Blue Spring between 1531 and the 1830s.” He names famous travelers such as Daniel Boone, Sam Houston and others who camped at the site. “Those tribes left behind in the soil around Blue Spring evidences of their craftsmanship that in addition to stone and horn instruments included pottery, canoes, bows, arrows, spears, tomahawks, skinning knives, tanning rocks, bread trays, maise bowls, medicine containers, canoe paddles, plows, hoes, forks, shovels, grass mats, moccasins and more.”

In 1830 it became the Blue Spring Mill where they ground corn, but the structure was destroyed during the Civil War. Another mill was built in 1872 by Timber Queen Franciska Haneke Massman, who was the owner of Blue Spring at one time. The last mill structure was built in 1903 and housed a grist mill, saw mill and a flour mill.

Blue Spring was also a resting place for the Cherokee Indians on the “Trail of Tears,” in 1838.

The first divers began to explore the spring in the summer of 2004 and over a period of several years they completed more than 300 dives. They found usual items such as a large railroad tool embedded in the rock at a depth of 50 feet, the remains of a freight wagon hub, a part of a frying pan, and a broken gear section. 

The divers were only able to go down 228 feet. As they began exploring the mouth of the cave —  a fissure only three feet wide and an estimated 500 feet deep they discovered the cave system is actually composed of densely packed white clay. Guests can watch two short videos of the divers and a historical documentary in the Visitor Center. The Center also displays many arrowheads and artifacts found on the land as well as old photos of early settlers. 

Kids can feed the fish in the trout-filled lagoon. The new gardens showcase crops, plants, flowers and healing herbs which are home to the Ozarks.

A gift shop is located on site as well as the Blue Spring Trading Post in historic Eureka Springs.

The Blue Spring Heritage Center is located 5.5 miles west of Eureka Springs on CR 210 just off Hwy. 62. The phone number is 479-253-9244. Hours of operation between March and November are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.