White Sulfur Springs, Virginia
In 1778, a settler near the springs which came to be known as White Sulfur Springs, in what was then western Virginia, followed the custom of the region’s Native Americans and began drinking the water, which was tinged with sulfur, in the hope that it would alleviate her rheumatism. Whether it helped or not is debatable, but word traveled that it did and the area soon was a destination of resort for those similarly plagued.
By the early 19th century the Calwell family of Baltimore had purchased most of the land surrounding White Sulfur Springs and had built cottages in the area, for rent or purchase. Henry Clay was a satisfied customer. So was Martin Van Buren. Soon the area was a vacation destination for those who wanted to escape the eastern cities during the hot months of summer, when the miasma resulting from stagnant waterways and thousands of horses and mules made the urban atmosphere unpleasant.
The Calwell family built a resort hotel on the property in the 1850s, which changed hands often between Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War. They named their hotel the Grand Central, although, in the common parlance, it was known simply as The White. After the war, the hotel, which had been badly damaged by the less than gentlemanly Union troops (in Southern eyes) was rebuilt. It was used for numerous reunions of veterans and former politicians from both sides during Reconstruction.
By 1869 the resort attracted visitors of such influence that when its owners lobbied for railroad service to the small town of White Sulfur Springs the response was a direct rail line to the Grand Hotel’s front gate.
Recognizing a profit maker and the value of its politically connected customers, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad eventually purchased the resort property, which is still in operation, though the Chessie is not. Although its heyday as a vacation spot was in the 19th century, its value as a political tool is still being honed by those of influence in the 21st. It is now known as The Greenbrier.