Butts County Historical Society seeks memories of Indian Springs amusement era

Today, locals residents and tourists flock to Indian Springs to enjoy the state park, visit the area’s shops and load up on its famous healing waters. In the 1950s and 1960s, visitors came to the area because it was a booming attraction. The Butts County Historical Society is now searching for people who enjoyed Indian Springs during this time period.

The Historical Society wants to share personal stories during the Dance Down Memory Lane event set for October 21 at the Indian Springs Amphitheater.

“We are planning several events to recognize the fact that the Indian Springs Hotel is celebrating its 200th anniversary,” said Jim Herbert, the Historical Society’s treasurer. “We are looking for anyone who grew up in Indian Springs and the surrounding area, or visited the area, and has a story to tell about the Indian Springs amusement park era.”

Herbert, 75, has a host of his own personal memories of Indian Springs.

“It was like the first Six Flags in Georgia,” he said. “There was an Olympic-size swimming pool, two bowling alleys, a skating rink and a dance area with a jukebox. And, of course everyone loved just sitting on the rocks to cool off.”

An Olympic-size swimming pool, bowling alleys, a Ferris wheel and a playground were just some of the amenities at Indian Springs. (Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library)

He said the state park had a playground in those days, and it was “the nicest one in the area.”

“In the off months, Mr. Hoard (of Hoard and Mullis Amusement Park) had a Ferris wheel set up, and there was a merry-go-round and putt-putt golf and a tilt-a-whirl. He had a sandwich bar and pinball machines. It was a mecca for teenagers.”

He said the carnival area was located in the field the state park now uses for overflow parking.

“That’s where the pool was and it was bigger than Olympic size,” Herbert said. “There was a miniature bowling alley there and the big bowling alley and skating rink were on the other side of the road.”

Some of Herbert’s best memories of Indian Springs are of family picnics and swim lessons.

“Families would gather down there after Sunday school or church, and the kids would all get together and play,” he said. “The big thing was to swing as high as you could and jump out and see how far it would take for you to land.”

Herbert was also among the Butts County children who learned to swim at Indian Springs. The Van Deventer Foundation bused children to the park for free swimming lessons taught by the Red Cross.

Herbert also remembers seeing Hare Krishnas at the park beating tambourines. “It was truly an experience to see them,” he said.

Patsy Horton Dobb shared her memories on the Historical Society’s Facebook page. Dobb’s family lived in the Arnold House which was converted to a hotel during this time period.

She shared memories of sitting in rocking chairs in front of her friend Willene Holloway’s father’s store.

“We used to share a rocking chair in front of the wood stove on cold days,” Dobb said. “My uncle operated the Ferris wheel at Dan Hoard’s Amusement Park. He would let me ride, but sometimes he would leave to do something else and forget I was still on the ride.”

The Indian Springs Hotel Museum contains memorabilia from the time, like duck pins, roller skates, bowling balls and signs from the Pitts Casino and the Elder Hotel.

The Ferris wheel, pool and bowling alleys are gone and the terrain has changed, but the era can live on through stories shared by those who lived them.

The Historical Society hopes people will reach out and share their memories.

For more information on how to share memories of the time period, email Herbert at jimherbertbchs@gmail.com.