Edmund Jennings was a Kentucky hunter who was among the first to find his way into this valley. This was around 1830. Jennings, upon returning to his home in Kentucky, told his friends and neighbors about the beautiful new area he had discovered.
Shepherd Kirby was one of the first settlers to move his family to the area after hearing about Jenning's find. For years Kirby had suffered from eye infections. As the story goes, one day Kirby was hewing logs for the home he was building, when the pain in his eyes became so intense he quit working and went to the nearby spring to wash his eyes. By the next morning, the misery and suffering from his eye infection had improved tremendously, so he continued washing his eyes daily with the spring water. Within a short time, his eye infection, which had plagued him for his entire life, disappeared.
Talk of Shepherd Kirby's miraculous healing spread fast and, before long, travelers seeking cures for every disease known to man came by. When they returned to their homes, the visitors brought back new stories of their own personal healings. They also brought back the second-hand tales of the incredible healing of others.
As the lure of the healing waters spread swiftly throughout the world, more and more families began coming to the area, at first seeking the healing waters, and then moving to the town that sprang up around the waters.
During the spring and only during certain times of the day, the new settlers noticed a red-tinted water bubbling up out of the ground. The red bubbling water looked like it was boiling, and shortly thereafter the little town, once known an Salt Lick Creek, became known as Red Boiling Springs.
The mineral springs era was at its peak from 1860 to 1930.
... And Today
Red Boiling Springs is a city of just over 1,000 people nestled in a beautiful valley in Macon County, Tennessee.
While they are here, visitors have a chance to relax in one of the beautiful hotels, escaping back into the previous era in time. This is a peaceful country setting where visitors can rock on the porch, stroll along the creek, enjoy the beautiful trees and landscaping, read a book, have a therapeutic massage, play a little golf, enjoy delicious meals, visit the local attractions, and simply get away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Red Boiling Springs is also a wonderful place to live and work. There are several industries in town and many businesses serving the needs of the community. Housing is affordable, and there is room to spread out and enjoy life.
