Big Spring near Washburn, Missouri - Natural Springs on Waymarking.com

Big Spring flows pretty well, varying from magnitude 5 (or 4) in springtime to magnitude 7 or 8 during a drought, but usually closer to magnitude 6. With a good flow from this spring, a settlement (not quite a town) grew up around it in the latter half of the 19th century. The settlement was known as Big Spring, of course. There was a canning factory (mostly tomatoes), two country stores, and a church. Not far away was Cormus Grove (or Measle Prairie) School. Big Spring settlement is mentioned several times in the series of books entitled Lifetime of Memories / Voices of Barry County. It seems that the settlement lasted up until around the time of World War II before it fizzled out. The canning factory quit, and that was the end of the other commerce - the stores, and the church.

In his book Seeds of Time (1960), H. Harold Shamel (1885 to 1963) describes this area and the hills around it. This poster had read repeated references to Big Spring along Greasy Creek whilst reading local history.

So one day I drove down Greasy Creek to see if I could find such a large spring. I came to a place in the road where there was no water to my left (southeast), but water flowing like a regular creek to my right (northwest) as a tributary to Greasy Creek, just about 50 feet further west. Fortunately, there was a lady sitting out on her porch at a nearby house. So I stopped along Greasy Creek Road and asked her where Big Spring is located, and she said, "Yes. That is it that you just drove over." The road is built so that the northwest edge of the road is immediately over the spring.

The northwest shoulder of the road is wide enough here that one traveling south on Greasy Creek Road can simply pull over and park off the road just beyond the spring. You can take a photo of the spring from the road right-of-way. But please ask at the house immediately across the road (on the southeast side), if you wish to get better front-on shots like I have included.

Public or Private Land?: Private Public Land Fees?: No fee. Private Land access?: You may park along the shoulder of the road to take a photograph.

Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the springs no GPS necessary along with your observations of the spring. What wildlife you saw if any and the condition of the springs. Water level was high, low. The area was clean, trashy ect. Any other knowledge or experiences you have had with this paticular spring that would help document it's history.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/15/2013 MountainWoods visited it