The Lost Springs of Greene County: Vanished Watering Holes, Forgotten Towns, and How Water Shaped the Land

When you look at a modern map of Greene County, you’ll see roads, subdivisions, and fields stretching from the Nolichucky up to the shadow of the Cherokee National Forest. But a century ago, the county’s lifeblood wasn’t the highway—it was water. Springs, creeks, and little-known seeps defined where towns sprang up, where cattle grazed, and where pioneers decided to plant their dreams.

Some of those springs are long gone—buried under highways or dried up in drought. But their stories are still bubbling up in the memories of old-timers, the crumbling foundations in forgotten woods, and even in the way the county’s boundaries were drawn. This is the tale of Greene County’s lost springs, vanished watering holes, and the ways that water shaped its destiny.
Where Were the Springs?

Natural Springs: Greene County sits atop a web of underground streams and limestone caves. Fresh water bubbled up everywhere—at Big Spring in Greeneville, Blue Springs, Lick Creek, Old Harmony, and hundreds of smaller seeps with names lost to history.

Spring Communities: Settlers built whole communities around reliable water sources. Some, like Blue Springs and Double Springs, became crossroads towns; others, like Cold Springs or Sulphur Springs, were just clusters of farms, a school, and maybe a church or mill.

Springs, Towns, and the Rise & Fall of Settlements

Towns That Grew Up Around Water: Early Greene County towns—Blue Springs, Rheatown, Harmony, Romeo—were all founded where a strong spring could supply drinking water and power a mill. The Big Spring in downtown Greeneville is the best-known survivor.

Drought and Change: By the early 1900s, drought, changing farming, and the arrival of modern wells started drying up or covering over many of these old springs. Some towns vanished entirely, leaving only a cemetery or a few stones to mark the spot.

Legendary Springs: Some springs were said to have healing powers (like Sulphur Springs), or to never freeze, even in the hardest winter.

Real-World Examples: Where to Find What’s Left

Big Spring, Greeneville: Still flows today—visit the city park at College and Main to see the spring that gave Greeneville its start.

Blue Springs: Now mostly rural farmland, but traces of the old community survive.

Double Springs: Near modern Mohawk; look for old brick wells and crumbling homesteads along country roads.

Vanished Springs: Talk to locals—many families have stories of childhood swimming holes or springs “that only run in a wet year.”

Lost Water, Lost Ways: The Impact on the Land

Old Roads and New Routes: Early roads followed water; when springs dried up, roads shifted. That’s why some modern backroads curve so oddly—they’re following a vanished creekbed.

Wildlife: Springs shaped where wildlife flourished. When a spring vanished, so did the deer, birds, and fish that depended on it.

Modern Water: Today, Greene County relies mostly on municipal water, wells, and the Nolichucky River. But you’ll still find houses built on the memory of an old spring.

Classic Recipe: Lost Spring Water Cornmeal Mush

Simple, filling, and a staple of old Greene County farm kitchens.

Cornmeal Mush

3 cups water (spring water, if you’re lucky)

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

Butter and sorghum, for serving

Bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly stir in cornmeal, reduce heat, and cook, stirring, until thick (about 15 minutes). Pour into a buttered dish, cool until firm, then slice and fry in butter for breakfast, topped with a drizzle of sorghum.
Why the Lost Springs Still Matter

Every spring was a story—a place to cool off, wash clothes, water cattle, or just talk with neighbors. Even if the water’s gone, the memory of those springs still shapes Greene County, flowing through its people and its land. Ask around, and you’ll find that every family still knows where the best water used to be.

See Also:

Tennessee Springs and Caves: https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/na-natural-areas.html

History of Blue Springs: https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/greene-county/

Cornmeal Mush and Appalachian Cooking: https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/fried-cornmeal-mush

Early Tennessee Settlements: https://www.tnvacation.com/articles/tennessee-early-settlements

Greeneville City Parks: https://www.greenevilletn.gov/Facilities