Original Springs Mineral Spa and Hotel

The Original Springs Mineral Spa and Hotel in Okawville, Illinois, represents one of the nation's last surviving natural mineral spa properties, operating continuously since 1867 when the establishment first opened to serve guests seeking the therapeutic benefits of naturally occurring mineral water. The property was developed in response to nineteenth-century medical theory that attributed healing properties to mineral-rich water, a belief that drove the development of spa communities across North America. The natural mineral spring on the property provided the essential resource around which the entire enterprise was developed, and promotional materials from the era emphasized the supposed curative properties of the water for various ailments and conditions. The establishment operated during the era when spa tourism represented a significant form of leisure activity and medical treatment, attracting individuals from throughout the region who sought relief from chronic conditions. The property developed a substantial reputation for the purported healing benefits of its mineral water, and the Original Springs became a destination for those suffering from various maladies who sought cure through immersion in the naturally heated, mineral-rich water.

The paranormal reputation of the Original Springs Hotel is fundamentally connected to the life and experiences of Mrs. Shearbaum, the figure identified as the Lady in White who haunts the property. According to the historical accounts preserved in local tradition, Mrs. Shearbaum was chronically ill and mobility-restricted prior to visiting the springs. After bathing in the mineral water, she reportedly experienced a remarkable recovery and restoration of mobility, which she attributed to the healing properties of the water. This transformation convinced Shearbaum that she had experienced a miraculous cure, leading her to persuade her husband to purchase the hotel and make a permanent commitment to the property. The couple's devotion to the mineral spa and their financial investment in its operation created a lasting connection between the Shearbaum family and the property. Mrs. Shearbaum's spirit apparently remained deeply attached to the location after her death, manifesting as the apparition known as the Lady in White, still present at the property where she experienced her miraculous restoration.

The family's continued involvement with the property brought additional tragedy and paranormal complications. The Shearbaums' son, who assumed operational control of the hotel, ultimately took his own life by shooting himself in the hallway of the property he was managing. This violent death added another layer of trauma to the property's history and contributed additional spiritual presences to the location. The tragic pattern continued as subsequent hotel owners experienced their own suicides, with a documented total of three owners taking their own lives at the property. Room 350, where owner Tom Rogers was found dead after shooting himself, has become the most actively paranormal location within the hotel. Guests reporting experiences in this room have documented apparition sightings and physical contact reports, with one particularly disturbing incident involving a guest who reported feeling someone pressing on her legs during the night, an experience that caused her to immediately vacate the property. The accumulation of suicide deaths at the property suggests a pattern of spiritual disturbance or environmental factors that may influence psychological states of those who attempt to manage the establishment.

Items throughout the hotel have been observed moving around behind the backs of staff members, suggesting ongoing poltergeist phenomena. Apparitions are seen consistently throughout the building, indicating multiple spiritual presences inhabiting different locations within the structure. The Original Springs Mineral Spa and Hotel continues to operate in the present era, maintaining its distinction as the last operating natural mineral spa in Illinois. The hotel management has acknowledged the documented paranormal phenomena and incorporated awareness of the hauntings into discussions with guests. Some visitors deliberately seek rooms known to be paranormally active, while others specifically avoid these locations. The property's unique status as both an operating historical spa property and a location with genuinely tragic history and well-documented paranormal phenomena makes it a unique destination for those interested in the intersection of health history, family tragedy, and paranormal phenomena.