Peoria Mineral Springs is a natural mineral spring and historic landmark located near Peoria, Illinois. Also known as Spring Hill, it is considered one of the region’s oldest natural hydrological sites, with an estimated age of over 14,500 years. While the property is privately owned and closed to the public, its history, geological significance, and cultural heritage remain vital to the state’s legacy. Read more at chicagoname.
Natural Characteristics
Located on the West Bluff between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Moss Avenue in Peoria, these springs are a unique natural feature formed over millennia by glacial activity. The underground aquifers feeding the spring provide natural filtration while enriching the water with minerals. This high concentration of dissolved minerals makes the water not only safe for consumption but also beneficial to health—a quality that has historically drawn the attention of both residents and entrepreneurs.
The spring water maintains a neutral pH of 7.3, with a mineral concentration exceeding 900 parts per million. It flows at a natural rate of approximately 30,000 gallons per day. Historically, the spring fed Goose Lake, a natural body of water that was drained during the 19th century.
Historical Background
Archaeological finds on the property, including tools and pottery shards, confirm centuries of Indigenous presence. In many Native American traditions, mineral springs were revered as sacred sites for healing, renewal, and ceremony. Peoria Mineral Springs was utilized by generations long before European colonization, adding profound cultural weight to its natural value.
In 1818, a federal land grant was awarded to War of 1812 veteran Augustus O. Garrett for the land that would become the site of the springs. By 1840, the property passed to riverboat captain and entrepreneur William S. Moss. In 1843, he built a Federal-style brick home on the grounds that stands to this day, reflecting the architectural hallmarks of the early 19th century.
In 1834, a brick reservoir with a barrel-vaulted ceiling was constructed on the hillside to collect the water. This system, known as the Peoria Water Works, became one of the region’s first municipal water supplies, transporting water through wooden pipes for up to two miles. The spring also supplied the home of renowned philanthropist Lydia Moss Bradley until her death in 1908. A pivotal figure in Peoria’s history and the founder of Bradley University, Bradley eventually sold the property to Preston Clark in 1892, marking a new chapter in the spring’s commercial history.
Commercial bottling began in the late 19th century. Ransom Hickey of Hickey Bottling Works was among the first to bottle water directly on the estate. After acquiring the site, Preston Clark trademarked the name “Peoria Mineral Springs” and opened a bottling plant across the street from the main house. Beyond mineral water, the facility produced rose malt, peach cider, and seltzer. The business operated into the early 20th century, though the plant building was eventually demolished in 1971.
20th-Century Restoration
In 1969, the Traynor family purchased the estate to save it from demolition. At the time, the spring had been filled in for safety reasons. It took over two years of excavation and restoration efforts to bring the natural flow back to life.
On March 5, 1982, Peoria Mineral Springs was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1994, the City of Peoria designated the site a Historic Local Landmark.
In 2010, Tobias T. Traynor, son of Charles Traynor Jr., took ownership of the spring and the house, resuming small-scale bottling operations. Before bottling, the water undergoes light carbon filtration and UV sterilization to ensure safety while preserving its natural mineral profile. A lavender field now graces the hillside, blooming in spring and summer; the lavender is harvested by hand as part of the landmark’s ongoing maintenance.
Peoria Mineral Springs is a unique intersection of natural, cultural, and engineering heritage. From its Ice Age origins to its modern boutique production, the spring maintains its historical identity. Despite being private and closed to the public, the site remains a vital piece of the historic landscape of Peoria and the state of Illinois. It weaves together multiple layers of history: a geological relic, a sacred Indigenous site, an early municipal infrastructure project, and a 19th-century entrepreneurial success story.