In 1640, King Charles I granted the Smith family 640 acres of land, which included the Spring, in what is now around Main and Lowell Streets in Lynnfield heading into West Peabody. Joseph Franklin Smith established Pocahontas Spring Company in 1901 at the age of 21 and who was the grandson of a Revolutionary War veteran.
Joseph Franklin Smith was born in 1881 and was a Lynnfield selectman for several terms through the 1920s, while also serving numerous other positions in town.
One story that particularly stood out was Pocahontas Spring’s connection to the Salem Witch Trials. Another Smith ancestor, Lucy Smith, was arrested during the Salem witch hysteria of 1692 and escaped hanging only because of an order from the governor prohibiting any more witchcraft-related executions. Specifically, Lucy was accused of making the Pocahontas Spring boil.
Moving ahead several centuries, Joseph Franklin Smith sold water from the spring all over the North Shore in horse drawn water wagons in the early days of the 1900s. As told to us in a meeting in 2014 with John C. Smith, the son of Joseph, that his father brought Pocahontas water in horse-drawn wagons, loaded with water carboys during the Great Salem Fire in 1914. A daunting task as the streets of Salem were hot from the fire and it bothered the horses. The water deliveries were surely running 24 hours a day to keep residents with water.
The fire destroyed 1,376 buildings, burned 253 acres and made over 18,000 people homeless or jobless in Salem. The fire encouraged the creation of the United States Employment Service. Pocahontas water was a precious needed resource in a civil emergency in one of the great industrial fires of this country.
The tradition of the Spring’s supply of water to vendors and customers continues today as the former owners claim this is one of the town’s oldest continuing running businesses and is vital to town history. To this day we know the value of a pure drinking water resource.
A separate historical note says that the spring was able to produce 100 gallons of water per minute, and that when Joseph F. Smith brought his first batch of Pocahontas water to try to sell in Salem, only the mayor was willing to part with 30 cents to buy some – most of the other residents apparently saw it as akin to paying for air.
Over the years, many town residents have seen the stone structure that covers the spring. It was also noted that the adjoining Jonathan Smith family farmhouse, built in the 1840s, once had a direct link from the spring piping into its basement. Apparently a few years ago the town made sure that the link was closed off, although it had been for some time.
Town residents may also be interested to learn that in 1928, Joseph Smith opened the Pocahontas Tavern to go with his spring, but it was reportedly doomed by a combination of the Great Depression and World War II gas rationing. There was also apparently a miniature golf course at the site.
We have been in continuous operation in Lynnfield for over 100 years, now open 24 hours a day through our vending operation. We post when there is maintenance on the spring, replacing equipment that is dated or failed or conducting routine inspections.
Like the previous owners of Pocahontas, we continue to deliver on an as needed basis and. Our brand is sold and delivered by others. Please come by and inquire.
The story of Pocahontas Spring is still told today in its waters. Water has memory and it does not forget a moment of what has passed over the centuries. The following is a brief history of the Spring and we welcome you to become a part of it. As Anthony, the current steward of the Spring says, “The spring itself is a story and the mosaic of stories of all of those who visit become the fabric that brings us all together.” The healing, living mineral water of the Pocahontas Mineral Spring flows from deep within the Earth, down into the Ipswich River and to the Atlantic Ocean.
Who can say who first drank from Pocahontas Spring? Perhaps it was the plants and trees and eventually the animals. But at some point, the Wampanoag came to drink from the spring and quickly realized the healing properties provided by its mineral waters. It has been said that Pocahontas Spring was particularly a place for mothers and children, as native women often brought their infants there to drink its life-giving waters. The Wampanoag people treated the Spring with respect, as their way of life revolved around the reverence of nature and the great healing power of the water.
The Spring is also considered a source of ancient old water from the creation of the earth. It is part of a powerful energetic vortex that is the confluence of many ley lines in the area. The Native Americans have shown us that the Sacred Source holds many powers, for it was their ancestors that lived on this land before the arrival of the Europeans over 400 years ago. We believe it was the Europeans who called the source “Pocahontas Spring.” At this time in the early 1600s, the Wampanoag called the spring “Minnehaha", or “laughing man” in reference to them laughing at the European settlers who could not pronounce the Spring’s name. King Charles I granted 640 acres of land to the Smith Family, which included Pocahontas Spring.” As an aside, the reason it still has this name is because women who visited the spring affirmed this name given the spring’s feminine energy.
At some point the old springhouse was built by a European, though no one knows the date the exact date. In any case, Pocahontas Spring is the oldest operating natural spring in the U.S. and has been providing clean, chemical-free mineral-rich water for nearly 400 years. The water stays a cool 51 degrees the whole year round. “Mineral water” is a natural water produced from a well or spring that naturally contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Pocahontas Mineral Spring Water contains over 350 parts per million. With much respect to Mother Earth and the Creator, it is the Source Mission to protect the water that has been entrusted to us and share it with all beings. At some point the old springhouse was built, though no one knows the date the exact date. In any case, Pocahontas Spring is the oldest operating natural spring in the U.S. and has been providing clean, chemical-free mineral-rich water for nearly 400 years. The water stays a cool 51 degrees the whole year round. “Mineral water” is a natural water produced from a well or spring that naturally contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Pocahontas Mineral Spring Water contains over 350 parts per million. With much respect to Mother Earth and the Creator, it is the Source Mission to protect the water that has been entrusted to us and share it with all beings.
Our facility in Meriden, CT has full container cleaning and recycling operation. We transport water to and from Massachusetts and CT and are fully licensed in all 50 states. Our CT New York State Health Department license (NYHSD) number is 088. You can taste both waters at Lynnfield, MA and Meriden, CT Regional waters and enjoy them like you would other craft product offerings. enjoy the wonderful world of water taste