From Mineral Springs to Bed Springs: A history of hotels and resorts in the Foothills of the Smokies

As America matured, the more affluent citizens began to enjoy vacations, prompting the creation of an industry to service that growing segment. Inns and hotels were erected at preferred locations for the vacation crowd. The Southern Appalachian Mountains were ideal vacation destinations due to their breathtaking scenery, the relative ease of access to population centers, the unpolluted air, the recreational opportunities, and the existence of many mineral springs, touted by many entrepreneurs as the "cure for what ails you." -from the IntroductionSpring House located at the Montvale Springs Hotel site. This and a wide variety of other vintage photographs document the history of a sampling of inns and resorts found in the foothills of the Smokies from the 1700s to the present.