On a Saturday evening in the summertime, to drive over narrow, twisting roads to dine at the Donoho Hotel in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, is to experience a remnant of the nearly vanished past. The Donoho, built in 1916, is a living antique, functioning in much the same way as it did when Red Boiling Springs was a thriving resort community. In the late afternoon sun, tall white columns gleam through the trees surrounding the hotel, and the shade lies cool and deep on the lawn; on the long veranda people lounge in rocking chairs until the clanging of the dinner bell calls them to the dining hall. After supper, guests return to their chairs on the veranda. The stillness remains unbroken, except for the occasional car on the highway which passes through the small Macon County community. Guests are prone to think nostalgically about the “good old days” when people enjoyed restful vacations lolling on the veranda at Red Boiling Springs. (introduction to Simple Pleasures by Dr. Jeanette Keith)
February 2019 – This month we launch a new feature of our vision2020inc.com website – Our Roots. This blog site is planned to be updated each month with reminiscences of growing up in our charming hometown of Red Boiling Springs, TN as well as stories of days long past from the history of this once thriving resort community.
The Donoho Hotel — Nestled in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee, The Donoho hotel is an oasis for a weary traveler for both the body and the soul. With a warm southern breeze and a cold glass of ice tea in your hand you are home! Established in 1914, the Donoho Hotel is steeped in tradition. As you drive over Salt Lick Creek onto the grounds you see more than 100 years of rich history. It is the last of the great white frame hotels with full-length two-story verandas. After the first Donoho Hotel burned, the current structure opened in 1914. What brought tourists to this rural Tennessee town were the potential curative powers of the mineral waters found in the area. This began in the 1860s after the Civil War ended and mountain spring resorts became the vacation destination for people all across the United States. http://www.thedonoho.com/phone/about.html
Left: Mary Hudson and her sister, Peggy in front of the Donoho in by-gone days.
Visit us soon in Red Boiling Springs and enjoy the hospitality of the entire community.
