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Hotel Mudlavia, Warren County, Indiana collection

 Collection — Folder: S2441
Identifier: S2441

Scope and Contents

This collection includes a circa 1910 envelope from the Hotel Mudlavia that was once located in Warren County, Indiana. On the address side of the envelope "Mudlavia, The Famous Mud and Lithia Water Baths, Kramer, Ind." is printed above an illustration of the hotel and "Nature's Infallible Cure for Rheumatism and Kindred Diseases" is printed in smaller text below the image.

Dates

  • circa 1910

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Historical Note

In December 1890, Henry L. Kramer opened a hotel and spa in Warren County, Indiana. Originally called the Indiana Mineral Springs, the hotel was later renamed the Hotel Mudlavia after the soothing mud-baths it offered. The hotel was built around a mineral spring discovered in 1884 by Samuel Story, a Civil War veteran who found relief from his rheumatism after drinking from the lithia spring and being covered in the mud from the area while digging a drainage ditch. The hotel attracted guests from all over the world and was considered one of the finest sanatariums in the country until the hotel was destroyed by fire in February 1920.

Sources:

Clifton, Thomas A., ed. Past and Present of Fountain and Warren Counties Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen and Company, 1913.

Figi, Matt. "Back in the Day: Mudlavia Springs Provede Health Benefits in the 1800s." The Monroe Times (IN), June 20, 2020. Accessed October 27, 2022. https://themonroetimes.com/lifestyle/back-in-the-day/mudlavia-springs-provide-health-benefits-1800s/.

Taylor, Stephen J. "Harry L. Kramer and the Candy Cathartic." Hoosier State Chronicles blog, May 12, 2015. Accessed October 27, 2022. https://blog.newspapers.library.in.gov/tag/mudlavia-hotel/.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection consists of one item.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2022/10/27 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2022/10/27 by Laura Eliason.
Title
Hotel Mudlavia, Warren County, Indiana collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671