MILLER COUNTY'S SPRINGS

Aurora Springs area became a renowned health and pleasure resort during the 1880s owning to the presence of Lithia water that was abundant from wells in the area. There were attempts to duplicate that success at four other locations in the county, but they apparently never got beyond the planning stage.

One was south of Eldon near the site of the former Vernon School. The plat of "Vernon Springs" was filed June 13, 1881 in the recorder's office at Tuscumbia by Wilbern Vernon and Sarah Vernon, his wife, and Isaac T. Vernon as proprietors of the Town of Vernon at the Corner of Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12, Township 41, Range 15.

Nine blocks were laid out with lots 33 and 99 feet in size, streets 66 feet wide and alleys 20 feet in width. Streets near the spring were known as Main and Front with other streets bearing the names Mt. Vernon, Maple, Willow and Elm.

There were plans drawn to develop another mineral springs south of Eldon. On Aug. 6, 1881, Cephas A. Leach, owner, filed a plat of his new development known as "DeLeon Park near Eldon Springs, Miller County." This land platted, 120 rods in length by 80 rods off east part of the north half the northeast quarter of Section 16, Township 41, Range 15, is in the West Aurora area. In dedicating land to public use for streets, alleys and avenues, he reserved "the timber and minerals and control of the ornamental trees and the use of the land until public convenience shall require its disuse."

The avenues of DeLeon Park were names Washington, Garfield, Tuscumbia, and Ponce de Leon.

Elixir Springs

"Elixir Springs", filed by George W. Arnold and his brother, William G. Arnold, was located in the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of Section 23, Township 39, Range 13. (This is on the Iberia Airport Road at the edge of town.) At the center was a park, 237 feet square, showing medicinal springs at the southwest corner and big spring on the north. Streets around the park were 30 feet wide with the streets continuing from the park-east and west and north and south-60 feet in width. Seven blocks were platted around the park with streets bearing such names as Sycamore, Main, Elixir, and Spring.