Hotel Mudlavia (commonly referred to simply as Mudlavia, and originally named the Indiana Springs Company) was a hotel and spa built on the site of a natural

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

near the town of Kramer in

Warren County, Indiana Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. It lies in the western part of the state between the Illinois state line and the Wabash River. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,440. Its county seat is Williamsport. ...

, US. The spring was discovered by Samuel Story, a Civil War soldier who, in August 1884, was reputed to have been working in the mud digging a drainage ditch. He drank water from the spring and discovered that his rheumatism symptoms gradually disappeared. Harry L. Kramer developed the concept and opened the beautiful hotel on December 25, 1890, at a cost of $250,000. It served guests for many years and drew visitors from around the world including such famous people as

John L. Sullivan John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing ...

, James Bingham,

James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...

Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a S ...

, Captain Jack Crawford and

Paul Dresser Paul Dresser (born Johann Paul Dreiser Jr.; April 22, 1857 – January 30, 1906) was an American singer, songwriter, and comedic actor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dresser performed in traveling minstrel and medicine-wa ...

. The building was destroyed by fire on February 29, 1920. A smaller building was constructed and was operated as a rest home for the elderly and later a restaurant called "Pleasant Valley Lodge". That burned in 1968. After Pleasant Valley Lodge closed, another owner returned the building to its original name of Mudlavia Lodge and operated until it burned in 1974. Water from the springs was bottled and distributed commercially by the Indianapolis-based Cameron Springs company, which was acquired by the Perrier Group of America in 2000 for about $10.5 million. As of 2008, the water was still being sold and was marketed by a variety of companies under different names.

Notes

References

* * * {{cite book , title=A History of Warren County, Indiana , author=Warren County Historical Society , location=Williamsport, Indiana , year=2002 , edition=175th Anniversary Hotel buildings completed in 1890 Buildings and structures in Warren County, Indiana Defunct hotels in the United States