About 1944, John L. Gundy and Son, a commercial advertising company in El Dorado Springs, produced a short history of Jerico. Apparently intended as a quick money maker, it was fewer than 20 pages, printed cheaply and featured advertising from merchants in El Dorado and Nevada.
Editorially, it relies heavily upon the 1889 Goodspeed Publishing Co. history for its account of Jerico’s early days, often copying long sections of it verbatim without acknowledging the source.
The original copy I have contains no publication date, but does say the Jerico Optic ceased publication about seven years before, which would make the publication date 1944.
It contains several errors. I have underlined the ones I spotted and parenthetically added the correct information.
The text below was taken from the Facebook page, “You Know You are from Jerico Springs…” , where it was posted by Janet Wallace Taylor, who transcribed it from an original copy.
Jerico Springs – A Brief Historical Review
Early History of Jerico Springs
The town of Jerico Springs, in the southwest part of Cedar County is a town of many future possibilities. The development of the state highway system has left Jerico Springs, almost isolated due to the road conditions but with the coming of good roads the town can then capitalize on its rich natural resources.
The farming land around Jerico Springs, is good, some being very fine. There is plenty of coal near enough to the surface that it can be stripped and possibly other minerals and metals. Probably the greatest resource of the city however is its remarkable springs. They are not excelled elsewhere for medicinal qualities.
The history of the famous springs, is not a small part of tradition. Long before the coming of the white man to the place of the springs, the Indians had come there to secure the benefits of this wonderful water. They endeavored to utilize by burying themselves in the mud and by making mud poultices to apply to the injured part of their bodies. Many of the early white settlers have related some of the miraculous cures affected by this manner of treatment. The Indians came for many miles to profit by the healing powers of the springs.
It was not long after that the report of the curative powers on these springs began to spread eastward. In 1857 a Dr. Bass of St. Louis was attracted by these glowing reports and visited Jerico. He began a series of experiments which were so successful that in 1860 he determined to build a hospital there. It was shortly after this time the Civil War broke out and the scheme was abandoned.
D.G. Stratton came to the locality from Illinois and the springs were recommended to him as a remedy fro the chronic ailment from which he suffered. He was skeptical at first but finally tried them and a complete cure was effected. Mr. Stratton having satisfied himself after seeing many other invalids cured by the waters, bought a track of land and laid out the present site of the town. On the 9th of June 1882 the first nail was driven in Jerico. Every year since there is a big picnic to commemorate the event. On March 5, 1883 Jerico was incorporated as a village.
Name of Jerico Springs
The name of Jerico Springs, it is said is a combination of the ancient Jericho and of Carrico. Joseph B. Carrico was the owner of the land on which the springs were located.
The first bath house was built in 1883. The United States hotel was built in 1882 while the Newman House was erected a year later. The flouring mill of Hartsook & Son was built in 1892. The springs were called, “The Fountain of Youth” by Mr. Stratton.
Only a few brave pioneers trod beside their ox teams when such early Cedar Countians as Tome Oakes, John Hartley, Jack Gordon and Robert Williams headed their covered wagons into the wild regions, which we know as Cedar county, in the year of 1837.
During the early years of Cedar County’s growth there was much hard work and little leisure and the pioneers looked forward to annual gatherings or celebrations as they were called. The traditions of annual celebration grew, and today the annual Jerico Springs Celebration is one of the best attended and liveliest in the county.
With the development of the natural resources of the new land the pioneers cast their lots in, their spiritual welfare was not neglected. Today the fair little city in the picturesque hills are proud of four live and going churches where honest, God fearing citizens render homage to their Creator. Jerico Springs has been well known to the outside world as a community of high religious and moral standards. To be sure they have an evil to fight, no less than millions of other communities, but a constant crusade by the forces of right have reduced wrong doing to a minimum.
The Methodist, Baptist, Christian Churches are the churches in Jerico Springs.
The Masonic Lodge is represented.
Despite the disastrous fires which destroyed a large part of the business section, the business concerns of today are representative of a prosperous inland town with a very sufficient revolving capital. The business houses include two grocery stores, one drug store, one cafe, medical clinic, two hardware stores, one clothing store, three garages, one trading post, post office, picture show and three service stations.
The town is incorporated and the city officials are: Ray L Morris, Mayor: Alderman W.L. Skaggs, F.O. Potts, Jim Leonard and O.P. Mitchell. Mrs Gladys Morris is City Clerk, Mrs. Willie Mitchell, City Collector, Don Wright, Treasurer; Bob Bratton, Police Judge; W.F. Evans, Marshal.
Perhaps one of the most vital organizations is Jerico Springs is the Community Teachers Association with Ray L. Morris as President. The Association embraces twelve districts and covers several counties. The Association has done much to improve school conditions in their localities and their work is making rapid progress.
The beautiful Spring Park is a cool, restful spot, in the center of the business section and is the center of the town’s evening and Sunday afternoon meetings. It is one of the prettiest parks of its size in the state and is the subject of favorable comment by the many out-of-town people who visit the Springs annually.
The X-Ray and Medical Clinic.
Some years ago, Dr. Bannister, a practicing physician of Jerico Springs, purchased the old hotel property, remodeled the building to suit his needs and founded the X-Ray and Medical Clinic. During the first few months of its existence the Clinic had only local patients, but as the fame of the splendid institution spread, people came from every section of the state to be treated for ailments which have baffled the physicians of their locale.
Dr. Bannister, who owns and operates the Clinic keeps abreast of the times in medical science and progress as his voluminous library will attest. He attends clinics where the latest discoveries in medicine and surgery are discussed and this, with his fine educational background equips him in a very splendid way to minister to the sick and ailing.
He has the latest in laboratory and office equipment and is constantly on the alert for better way of utilizing the wide range of knowledge and experience he has acquired through the years.
Thousands of patients in scattered parts of the middle west can attest to his skill and fairness in relieving them of ailments which made life a burden.
The Doctor is a genial gentleman and makes no rash or impossible promises to a patient. He is frank to tell them that if they will do their part, he will do every thing humanely possible to bring them back to health.
The institution is a distinct asset to Jerico Springs. You can judge a man pretty well by what his neighbors in the community think of him. The Doctor enjoys the respect and co-operation of the majority of the citizens in that part of the county. He extends a cordial invitation for the public to visit him.
Pioneers
There are many of the first families of Cedar County who settled in or near Jerico Springs. Some of the land grants are still in existence and bear the signatures of James K Polk as President of the United States. Gum Springs Cemetery and other old Cedar County burying grounds hold many inscriptions dating back to the turn of the century.
We cannot possibly name all of those who were prominent in the early developement of Jerico Springs and adjacent territory. The best we can do is to use the data at hand and depend on those who told us as to its accuracy.
The early physicians, as far as we can learn were: Dr. Holmes, Dr. Gates, and Dr. Brasher.
As far as we know the only dentist was Dr. Neal, now retired and living in Jerico Springs.
The only lawyer was Frank Brewster. (Mr. Bruster practiced law in Jerico contemporaneously with E. R. Hightower, and perhaps others.)
Among the businessmen we were able to learn of were: J.K. Peer – Hardware, furniture and undertaking. F.M. Davis – Dry goods, now retired. W.T. Long – Hardware. John Long – Dry Goods
A.M. Heffner (Heifner) was the pioneer editor and publisher of the Jerico Optic, which suspended publication approximately seven years ago.
Charles Whitesett was the earliest banker. The Bank of Jerico closed in 1915 or 1916 and there has been none since that time. (Mr. Whitsitt was a prominent figure in Jerico banking circles but he was not the earliest banker. Neither was the Bank of Jerico the last in town- three others existed before the last one finally closed n 1929.)
Uncle Charley Brownlee was another pioneer. Solomon Ruth was a grocer in Jerico Springs sixty years ago. J.B. Carrico was a pioneer dry goods merchant. J.T. Stamps – Real Estate and Insurance.
George and Albert Morris, who have lived in Jerico Springs practically all of their lives, were pioneer blacksmiths. Until his recent death, Uncle Silas Phelps was the town’s oldest resident, 104 years of age.
The Parks
The beautiful Spring Park is a restful place for the visitors and the populace and has been a source of pride to the citizenry for many years. The lower Park is used as the picnic grounds during the Annual Celebration and at other times as camp sites. It is a large shady grove where large numbers of people come to drink the water and rest. The Spring affords all of the pure, sparkling water for drinking and cooking purposes.
The Ball Park is another very fine source of amusement, where ball teams from different towns engage the local talent in many close contests. It adjoins the lower park and the spectators can remain in the shade to watch the game.
The Cyclone
Many of the citizens remember the cyclone which struck Jerico forty-seven years ago (38 years, actually), completely demolishing the Methodist Church and the George Clark residence, killing Mrs. Clark. It also unroofed the Newman Hotel and did severe damage to other residences, and injured several people. Filmore Davis, who at one time was in the grocery business in El Dorado Springs, suffered a back injury, the effects of which caused his death years later.
Disastrous Fires
The Charley Long Corner burned about sixty years ago. The large garage south of the Farmer Drug Store burned about eighteen years ago and the Brown Corner, occupied by the Farmer Drug Store and the Paul Long Hardware Furniture and Undertaking business, at a later date.
The Bush Hotel
The Bush Hotel built by “Daddy” and “Mother” Bush was a later improvement that replaced the old Montezuma Hotel. For a number of years it was the leading hotel, until the building was remodeled by Dr. Bannister for the X-Ray and Medical Clinic.
Transcribed by Janet Wallace Taylor, from an original copy.
Jerico Springs on parade 