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Historian Shannon Applegate to share stories of Oregon's mineral springs era By WENDY SIPOREN TALENT -- In the early part of this century, the biggest tourist attraction in Southern Oregon was the many mineral springs in and around Ashland. If you go What : Shannon Applegate's slide presentation, "Hope Springs Eternal: Water Cures During Oregon's Historic Spa Era" When : 7 p.m. Saturday Where : Talent Elementary School media center, 307 West Wagner Creek Road Cost : Free "No county in the west is as generously endowed with mineral springs as Jackson County," said historian Shannon Applegate, who will give a slide presentation on the subject Saturday. The carbon dioxide springs at Buckhorn, Wagner soda springs, white sulfur springs, Jackson's hot springs and the famous Lithia water all tempted developers thirsty to tap into the healthy water craze. At the peak of the spa era in 1914, "even Medford thought seriously about piping (mineral water) into their city because they were jealous of Ashland," said Applegate. But the dream of luring people to spas, hotels and resorts built around the natural hot and mineral springs along the tributaries of Bear Creek wasn't limited to Jackson County. It was an old world tradition slowly making its way west, she said. "The Oregon of that time took pride at re-creating life in the east," explained Applegate. Building on this tradition and the sweat lodge tradition of American Indians, interest in mineral springs captivated Oregonians from 1890 to the 1930s. The white settlers used many of the springs also used by native Oregonians, but not always in the same way. At Buckhorn Springs, where carbon dioxide is emitted from vents in the ground around the mineral springs, the Takilma people inhaled the gas until they passed out and were carried away by a shaman. Native Oregonians referred to these types of springs as hiyu skookum, or powerful medicine. The old-time settlers called them poison springs because of the insects and small animals they saw dead around the vents. Applegate became interested in the spa era while researching a novel she is writing, "Minus Tides," set on the south coast. She is the author of "Skookum," about her pioneer ancestors' arrival in Oregon. Her latest book, "Among Headstones: A Cemetery Sexton's Diary," is an autobiographical account of the past 2.5 years since she became the owner of a community cemetery in Yoncalla. It is due out next year. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA