Medicine Springs

Medicine Springs, about 20 miles northeast of Antlers near Cloudy Mountain, has a long and interesting history.

The old military road from Fort Smith to Fort Towson crossed near the springs and from 1824 until about 1860, wagon trains and stage coaches stopped overnight at the springs.

A sundial was erected by the Choctaw Indians near the springs in solid rock between 1830 and 1850. The Choctaws probably were the first people to discover the springs and their medicinal waters.

Prior to the turn of the century, Medicine Springs was called Daniel’s Springs. It was named so for Tom Daniel who lived there. He had visited the spring many years before. He drank the water for its curative powers, was made well, and moved there.

In 1929, A.H. Akard built and operated a hotel at Medicine Springs. He also piped the water from the spring on the side of the hill to the rocked-up spring house. Akard was also responsible for transferring the sun dial to the upper part of the spring house.

The hotel is long gone but the spring still flows and is worth a trip to see.