Ky. My first visit to Drennon Springs was in 1831. There was a large stone house, two stories with a basement, about three hundred yards below the Black Sulphur or the big spring that affords the water that is shipped to market. A beautiful lawn thickly set in blue grass surrounded the house and extended to a row of twenty or more cottages, built of logs, white washed and very neat. The beds were new and clean. The water of the Black Sulphur Spring is very salt and sulphurous with a strong smell like burnt powder or burning coal.
All animals become very fond of it.
Many times in after years, I have had to sit firm and hold my horse as we reached the ford, so eager was he to et to the water. The stream is very cold, and the horses would thrust in their noses and drink and drink, then take a long breath and drink again as if they could never get enough. All the cattle are fond of it and it is very good for them, and it was sought after by the buffaloes, deer, bears, panthers and smaller beasts, that used to go there in great numbers. Down these the herd of buffaloes came, wearing the stones and earth away three or four feet. There were several trails leading down to the creek from off the hills into the valley where was plain to be seen a broad trail or road one hundred feet wide and curving round in graceful lines to the delicious waters they had come miles to get.