Episode 28: A Doctor Claimed the Springs Could Cure in This Lost Missouri Town
12/21/18 • 26 min
Greene County, Missouri was once home to many bustling communities that slowly withered away. One town had quite an intriguing story. There it was said the springs could cure; that a bit of heaven had fallen to earth. A respected doctor even banked his future on the town’s medicinal wonders. Have you ever heard of the lost town of Bethesda?
Credit:
A huge thanks to author and local Greene County historian Shirley Gilmore who wrote a little book called Bethesda: Lost City in 1970, when she was a senior in high school and as part of a Girl Scout project. The book is in the reference section of the Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri. I also grateful for the historical insight of John Sellars, the Executive Director of the History Museum on the Square, dedicated to revitalizing and preserving the history of the Springfield, Missouri community.
Sources:
Bethesda: Lost City; Gilmore, Shirley; Girl Scout Troop #15 (Springfield, Missouri); August 12, 1970.
A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri; Moser, Arthur Paul; Springfield-Greene County Library; Retrieved December 2018.
Robberson Township, Ebeneezer, Hackney, Bethesda, Glidewell; Greene County 1904; Missouri Publishing Co.
Glen M. “Heinie” Siegel; Obituary; Newsok.com; January 10, 2001.
The Lost Town of Bethesda and More on Springfield's Cryptid History; Urban Cryptids; December 14, 2012.
The Mysterious Goat Man; Urban Cryptids; May 19, 2013.
Greene County, Missouri was once home to many bustling communities that slowly withered away. One town had quite an intriguing story. There it was said the springs could cure; that a bit of heaven had fallen to earth. A respected doctor even banked his future on the town’s medicinal wonders. Have you ever heard of the lost town of Bethesda?
Credit:
A huge thanks to author and local Greene County historian Shirley Gilmore who wrote a little book called Bethesda: Lost City in 1970, when she was a senior in high school and as part of a Girl Scout project. The book is in the reference section of the Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri. I also grateful for the historical insight of John Sellars, the Executive Director of the History Museum on the Square, dedicated to revitalizing and preserving the history of the Springfield, Missouri community.
Sources:
Bethesda: Lost City; Gilmore, Shirley; Girl Scout Troop #15 (Springfield, Missouri); August 12, 1970.
A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri; Moser, Arthur Paul; Springfield-Greene County Library; Retrieved December 2018.
Robberson Township, Ebeneezer, Hackney, Bethesda, Glidewell; Greene County 1904; Missouri Publishing Co.
Glen M. “Heinie” Siegel; Obituary; Newsok.com; January 10, 2001.
The Lost Town of Bethesda and More on Springfield's Cryptid History; Urban Cryptids; December 14, 2012.
The Mysterious Goat Man; Urban Cryptids; May 19, 2013.
Previous Episode
Episode 27: The Flying Santas Who Airdrop Christmas Cheer to America’s Lighthouse Keepers
In the 1920s, one aviation pioneer launched a thank-you project for the families that keep coastal ships safe. He propelled a goodwill tradition that’s lasted longer than he ever imagined. One that has lasted to this day... Have you ever heard of the Flying Santas?
Credit:
I’d like to give a huge thanks to the Friends of Flying Santa for their dedication and generosity in keeping this good-will tradition alive. If you’d like to donate to this wonderful cause, please visit their website at https://www.flyingsanta.com/Donations.html.
This story first appeared on Narratively.
Sources:
The Origins and History of the Flying Santa; Tague, Brian, Friends of Flying Santa; Retrieved November 2018.
No Reindeer Necessary; DownEast Magazine; December 2015.
The Flying Santa of Coastal New England; New England Historical Society; Retrieved November 2018.
History of Owls Head Light, Maine; D'Entremont, Jeremy; New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide; Retrieved November 2018.
Next Episode
Episode 29: All You've Needed to Know and Then Some Since 1818
Throughout history there have been countless methods for forecasting the weather. In 1818, David Young, a poet and an astronomer from Morristown, New Jersey, launched a publication that would help take the guesswork out of this tricky task...and then some. Have you ever heard of the Farmers’ Almanac?
Credit:
Peter Geiger, publisher and editor at the Farmers’ Almanac, joined me for this wonderful episode on the history of a timeless publication. I’m grateful for his insight and stories.
Image Copyright: Almanac Publishing Company
Sources:
Farmers’ Almanac History; Farmers’ Almanac; Retrieved December 2018.
Agriculture, Food, and the Environment; Brosnan, Kathleen A. and Blackwell, Jacob; Oxford Research Enclyopedias; April 2016.
What is an Almanac?; Wonderopolois; Retrieved December 2018.
Farmers’ Almanac Timeline; Farmers’ Almanac; Retrieved December 2018.
History of American Agriculture; Bellis, Mary; ThoughtCo.; October 3, 2018.
A Visit to the Past; Duncan, Sandi; Farmers’ Almanac; December 10, 2012.
Time Travel Anyone?; Duncan, Sandi; Farmers’ Almanac; November 12, 2013.
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