Limestone County is growing, and with that growth comes a change in the landscape. For many, change can bring about the desire to keep things as they have always known it to be. Limestone County has been evolving for centuries. As a matter of fact, even the name of the county changed from Elk to Limestone on February 6, 1818.

Since Limestone County was established in 1818, many towns and communities have been established. Some of those towns are still thriving and growing today but several communities have faded away.

Years ago, people traveled to Bailes Hollow in the Pea Ridge community in northern Limestone County to drink the sweet and perhaps healing waters of its seven springs. In the late 1840’a Dr. Thomas Coleman Pettus came from Lunenburg County, Virginia and purchased the land in and around Bailes Hollow and the town of Pettusville was born and, eventually, the Pettusville Spring Company.

A News Courier article by Bob Dunnavant from February 13, 1977 states, “The water was said to have considerable medicinal value and people came to the spring for their health and lingered I Pettusville to enjoy its peaceful atmosphere.” Some are said to have flocked there in hopes of avoiding yellow fever and cholera.

Pettus and the residents of Pettusville began construction on a grand two story columned hotel with twelve rooms. The hotel was framed of yellow poplar logs. The hotel also included two large 29 square feet front rooms on either side of a grand hallway. Nearby, Dr. Pettus and residents also built a two story building to serve as a school, masonic hall, and a meeting place for the Methodist Church congregation.

As early as 1852, a post office was opened in Pettusville and managed by Dr. C.J. Massenburg. He and Dr. Thomas Pettus created the Pettusville Academy and students from Limestone County attended.

While visitors did come to drink from the springs, the start of the Civil War halted the progress, including the closing of the school, and was a tremendous blow to the hotel. After the war, Pettusville experienced a revival when T.J. Trotter purchased the land and hotel, but the revival was short lived.

In 1887, Trotter placed an ad in the Alabama Courier announcing “reasonable terms” on his property.

“I have for sale a valuable farm of 180 acres lying in the northern part of Limestone County four miles northeast of Elkmont near the village of Pettusville two miles from Elk River and L&N Railroad,” Trotter said. “The farm is in a good neighborhood, and close to a church, school, and post office. It is well well watered, has plenty of timber, very healthy location and a fine strong ‘mineral spring’ within a stone’s throw of a large well-arranged frame building of 12 rooms.”

Twenty shareholders came together and purchased the farm from Trotter for approximately $3000. They immediately began promoting the springs and after gathering for a barbecue and organizational meeting, the group declared the springs to be known as Pettusville Springs.

The 1977 News Courier article listed the stockholders in the Pettusville Spring Company as A.C. Legg, N.B. Wallace, J.A. Pettus, M.F. Westemoreland, John W. Hill, T.J. Scott, Frank Campbell, T.J. Trotter, Thomas Whitfield, Joe Whitfield, W.R. James, F.R. Daly, Henry Messenberg, Robert Whitfield, DF. Bates, E.T. Gray, W.B. Vaughn, and Henry Warten.

A promotional brochure for the springs said,”It is the duty of every man to throw off one and two months in the year the business and household cares and enjoy themselves at a watering place.” The brochure claimed the springs in Pettusville could not be beat and had the best “chalybeate, alum, freestone or sulphur water”

People from as far away as Memphis and Louisville were reported to be interested in purchasing lots near the hollow and other grand plans were rumored to be in the works by the Pettusville Spring Company stockholders. Land was even donated for a hotel to accommodate the expected crowds.

While many of the plans never came to be, the popularity of the resort and springs continued to boom. Despite the popularity, the springs and hotel were sold to J.J. Atkinson in 1894. He held barbecues, dances, and other social events at the springs resort.

The hotel and springs would be bought and sold several times over the next several years. In the early 1900’s, Bob Powers had become the owner of the springs and hotel resort.

“Powers apparently chose not to operate the hotel, but found the mineral water still a desirable commodity on the streets of Athens where he appeared each week with bottles and jugs filled with the liquid,” Dunnavant wrote. “While Powers owned the place, the old hotel burned.”

The cause of the fire is unknown and the hotel was never rebuilt but Dunnavant wrote, “It’s still down there, though the path is fading and the blanket of leaves sometime mean a long search, and the waters are as sweet and healthful as they have always been down through recorded history of Pettusville.”