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The Southport Times Acquires Scarce
Boiling Spring Lakes Postcard

Postcard of The Boiling Spring Larger View

May 11, 2011 - Southport, NC - The Southport Times has acquired a scarce 1963 postcard of the actual boiling spring in Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, the namesake of the small city in Southeastern North Carolina.

Boiling Spring Lakes was originally developed by Reeves Telecom in the early 1960s. In the early stages of development a spring was discovered hidden in a wooded ravine. It was later determined that this spring produced an astonishing 43,000,000 gallons of water per day. The rate at which the water spewed from the spring gave the appearance of a "boiling" effect. This spring later became a main source for the centerpiece lake, in the aptly named city of Boiling Spring Lakes.

After naming the city, the developers decided to showcase the city's namesake by encompassing the spring with a low brick wall. Legend has it, that almost before the bricklayers laid the last brick, the spring stopped flowing, only to reappear a short time later outside of the brick wall. If you look closely at this postcard, you will notice the photograph used for this postcard was taken at a time when the spring was clearly outside of the brick wall.

Eventually, the spring returned to its original spot within the wall, where it still exists to this day. You can view this spring on the Eastern side of the city, just off of Tuscarora Drive (Map), but unfortunately, the spring and the surrounding area are unkempt and are in a sad state of disrepair.

While this postcard glorifies the spring and the attention it was given in the early days of the city's history, it is important to note that many people, including residents of the city, have never seen the spring, nor even know where it is. This can be attributed to the fact that the spring resides on private property and lacks public access. Many efforts have been made over the years, without success, to restore this landmark to its former glory.

The Southport Times is happy to have acquired this postcard view of the spring and it will be preserved and showcased on our website for all to enjoy!

View Postcard of The Boiling Spring     View Other Postcards

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