Hotel Mudlavia was a hotel and spa built on the site of a natural spring near the town of Kramer

Kramer, Indiana

Kramer is a small town in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :On November 5, 1885, a post office was established called Cameron Springs, named for its first postmaster William Cameron. On June 12, 1889 the name was changed to Indiana Mineral Springs, and on March 23, 1901 it was...

 in Warren County

Warren County, Indiana

Warren County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1827 and...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. The spring was discovered by Samuel Story, a Civil War soldier who, in August 1884, was reputed to have been working in the mud digging a drainage ditch. He drank water from the spring and discovered that his rheumatism symptoms gradually disappeared.

Harry L. Kramer developed the concept and opened the beautiful hotel on December 25, 1890 at a cost of $250,000. It served guests for many years and drew visitors from around the world including such famous people as John L. Sullivan

John L. Sullivan

John Lawrence Sullivan , also known as the Boston Strong Boy, was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from February 7, 1881 to 1892, and is generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring rules...

, James Bingham

James Bingham

James 'Jimmy' Bingham , was a Belfast-based artist. He spent thirty years in London working as a signwriter with his brother. In 1967 he returned to Belfast where he met fellow Belfast artist Daniel O'Neill...

, James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...

, Harry Lauder

Harry Lauder

Sir Henry Lauder , known professionally as Harry Lauder, was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador!"-Early life:...

, Captain Jack Crawford

John Wallace Crawford

John Wallace Crawford , known as "The Poet Scout", was an American Civil War veteran, an American Old West scout, and a poet of western lore. He was a scout for General George Crook and General Phil Sheridan, friend of Wild Bill Hickok and co-actor, performer and scout with William F. Cody...

, and Paul Dresser

Paul Dresser

Johann Paul Dresser, Jr. was a popular American songwriter of the late 19th century and early 20th century. As a child and adolescent he was frequently in trouble and spent several months in jail before joining a band of traveling minstrels...

. The building was destroyed by fire on February 29, 1920.

A smaller building was constructed in the 1960s and was operated as a rest home called "Pleasant Valley Lodge". It burned in 1968.

Later, water from the springs was bottled and sold by Indianapolis-based Cameron Springs company, which was acquired by the Perrier Group of America

Perrier

Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...

in 2000 for about $10.5 million. As of 2008 the water was still being sold and was marketed under a variety of names.