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Bailey Springs

Bailey Springs was a popular health resort and mineral springs founded in the 1820s by Jonathan Bailey. It was located about five miles northeast of Florence in section 10 of T2 S R10 W. By 1858 it was owned by A. G. Ellis & Co, and was subsequently owned by several different parties. In the mid 1890's Bailey Springs University, was located at Bailey Springs. This was a women's university.

The picture above appeared in the Florence Times, Sunday Morning, 24 Aug 1976, p. 41.

A sure way to get your picture or name, or both, in the paper was to be a visitor "taking the waters" at Bailey Springs. The Florence Gazette in the 1850s and 60s routinely published lists of guests staying at the Bailey Springs Resort in Lauderdale County, AL. These notices are abstracted exactly as they appeared in the Gazette. No corrections were made in the spelling of names, though editor’s brackets [ ] were used for doubtful spellings. For this reason, be sure to check for alternate name spellings. The word "do" following so many of the names is the abbreviation for "ditto."

From the Florence Gazette, Wednesday, June 1, 1859, p. 3.

ARRIVALS
At Bailey Springs from May 4th to May 31st, 1859. Ellis & Co., Proprietors.
 

F Shoemake [sic?], Memphis

Mrs Shoemake [sic?], do

Mrs W B Donaho [sic], do 4 children & 4 ser’vts

Col Sam’l W Evans & serv’t, Oxford Miss.

Mrs. Mary K Evans & serv’ts, Oxford Miss

Master Rob’t Evans, do

Dr M K [H]arrison, Aberdeen Miss.

O F Hames, Carroll Ten.

Wm B Wiggs, Memphis

Jno H Brinkley, do

James S Woodell, do

M P Asher, do

The. Allen Jones, Florence Ala.

J Coffee Simpson, do

Patrick McDonald, Memphis Tenn.

Jas Harrington, do

Jas F Hall, St Louis

Jas Brady & Wife, Memphis

Z J Carthel, Trenton Ten.

Rob’t Manning, Missouri

Geo TG White, NY

Mrs Paul Chandion? and servant, Mobile

E R Shapard [sic?], ---- Tenn

T P Davidson, Memphis

Miss Davidson, do

James O Kerr, Miss

Miss LA Kerr, do

Tip Davis, Florence

Miss Mollie Karsner, do

Miss Fannie Fible, Louisville

Miss Mollie Dies, do

B F Karsner Jr, do

R T Boroughs, Florence

F S Furgeson, Tuskeegee Ala

Wm L Thompson, La

Geo R Anderson & servant, Athens Ala.

W C Prewitt, Madison Arkansas

Miss L Prewitt, do

Mrs W H Hunt, Memphis

J W Chisholm, County

B Nelson, do

L H Cole, Waterford Mis

W J Anderson, Helena ark [sic]

A C Horton and family, Memphis

J S McGehee, Como Mis

M F Gilchrist, do do

P P Gilchrist, Courtland Ala

W A Key, County

Jas S Boddie, do

D P Ludlow, New York

S T Kirby, Georgia

Mrs Kirby & serv’t, Ga.

James Buford, Miss

William Painter, Memphis

Miss Maggie Silver, do

J D Barnard, Huntsville

Mrs Barnard & serv’t, do

A McAlexander, Florence

MJ Gilchrist, do

Mrs E H Bourdmon, NY

Miss C F Bourdmon, do
M L Webb, Mississippi
C W Martin, [Pon]totoc do
Mrs Martin, do
Miss Doke & se’vt, do
Sam’l Adams, Memphis
Jas Martin, cypress fac’y [sic]
R D Martin, do do
H O Pettus, Florence
R C McCarly, do

S F Tate, do

D H Campbell, Courtland [A]la.

Col John L Moore, Memphis

B F Foster jr [sic], Florence

Wm Morris, Memphis

Rob’t Dyas,  N. Orleans

Miss M Dyas, do

Wm V Chardavoyne, Courtland Alabama

Mrs Chardavoyne, Courtland Alabama

B S Gibson, Madison ark [sic]

Thos Bufort and servant, Giles Tenn.

Giles H Reynolds and ser’vt, do

Master Reynolds, do do

George W Carroll, Tehula Mississippi.

R H Oglivie, Tenn.

Mrs. Ogilvie, do

W B Donaho [sic], Memphis

Col J Branch’s two servants, Tenn

Thos M Jone’s [sic] 1 ser’vt 

E B Hornbeak, Mem.

Mrs. Jas Fletche[r] ser'vt & 2 children, do

Mrs K Henderson, do

Thos Williams, ark [sic]

W A Pettus, waterloo ala [sic]

Dr. D S Beloate, county

Dr J W Stewart, do

Mrs Coffee, do

Miss Kate Coffee, do

W Wainright, miss [sic]

John Bell, Tenn

Miss S Bell & ser’vt, do

R N McVeigh, Phila’d

L Lorance, Florence

Ed Brown, do

S G Barr, do

Wood Yeatman & Co’s servant

W H Key, County

James Boddie, do

Miss A Howell, do

John C Bliss, Florence

Mrs Malony, do

Thomas Taylor, do

Jno R Price, So Florence

L?M Lewis, Florence

Miss Shappard [sic?], Memphis

Dr H F Harris, McLemoresville Tenn

Jas Ackinson, do

John Burns, Memphis

Dr J T Hargraves and serv’t, Florence Ala

Geo Shall [sic], Memphis

John B Fassitt, Phil’a

2024 by County Coordinator Patricia Bryant Hartley.

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