The town of White Sulphur Springs is named after its well-known mineral springs, which have a long history of supposedly having healing powers. The springs were first reported by European-Americans in 1778. People had heard that Indians believed the strong-smelling water could heal you.

A famous story tells of a woman named Amanda Anderson, who was suffering badly from rheumatism. After just a few weeks of treatment at the springs, she was completely healed and rode away on horseback.

Visitors first camped in tents and then stayed in cabins. The area grew into one of the most popular resorts in the South before the Civil War. In the early 1900s, the Greenbrier resort was built on the grounds.

Scientists today confirm that the water is rich in minerals like sulfate, calcium, and bicarbonate. A doctor who worked there for decades called it "the most highly medicated and efficient mineral water . . . in the world."