
Chamberlin Springs is a former recreational site outside of
Beloit,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, that is now property of
Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...
. Started by
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (; September 25, 1843 – November 15, 1928) was an American geologist and educator. In 1893 he founded the '' Journal of Geology'', of which he was editor for many years.
Biography
Chamberlin was born September 25, 18 ...
, a graduate of Beloit College in 1866, and his brother, John Chamberlin.
Chamberlin Springs was originally a spring water business run by the Iodo-Magnesian Spring Company.
Water from the spring was bottled up and sold for $7.00 "per barrel of 40 gallon, including package."
[“Iodo-Magnesian Springs, Beloit, - Wisconsin,” ca 1876, Archives of Beloit Historical Society, Beloit, Wisconsin.
] The water from Chamberlin Springs was said to have healing properties, and was endorsed by several prominent community members from Beloit, including Beloit College's first President
Aaron Lucius Chapin. The Iodo-Magnesian Springs, as they were originally called, attracted people from all across the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...
, not just Beloit or Wisconsin as a whole. Chamberlin Springs is now a property of Beloit College and is used by students for geological, anthropological, and ecological research.
Historical background
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (; September 25, 1843 – November 15, 1928) was an American geologist and educator. In 1893 he founded the '' Journal of Geology'', of which he was editor for many years.
Biography
Chamberlin was born September 25, 18 ...
, or T.C. as he liked to be known, was a geologist, entrepreneur, and occasional administrator.
Chamberlin moved near
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people.
History
Twelve men in Colebrook, New Hampshire, created the "New England Emigrating Company" in October 1836 and sen ...
at a young age and his parents settled the 160 acres where the site lies today. While his brother John stayed and worked on the family farm, T.C. went to school at
Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...
.
In 1875, the brothers began to market the site as a water source, but it quickly became a regional sensation with bottles being distributed and sold throughout the Midwest.
In the meantime, T.C. worked as a high school principal,
Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...
professor, and accomplished geologist.
He even worked for two of Beloit's largest manufacturing companies, serving as the Director of the Rock River Paper Company and the Vice President of Merrill and Houston Iron Works. After his death in 1928, the property was passed down to T.C.'s son, Rollin Chamberlin.
For more information, see
T.C. Chamberlin
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (; September 25, 1843 – November 15, 1928) was an American geologist and educator. In 1893 he founded the '' Journal of Geology'', of which he was editor for many years.
Biography
Chamberlin was born September 25, 18 ...
.
Iodo-Magnesian Spring Company
During its years of operation, Chamberlin Springs was managed by the Iodo-Magnesian Spring Company. The company managed to draw regional attention to the springs by marketing the curative properties of the water. According to an 1870s brochure put out by the group, the iodine and bromine contents, lack of organic material, and minerals such as lime gave the water remarkable purity.
These qualities, they claimed, gave the water healing properties for a wide variety of health issues such as diabetes, liver ailments, rheumatism, and kidney disease.
Development around the springs included a large gazebo, stairs, and landscaping, which enticed visitors from as far Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis to visit the springs and stay in nearby Beloit.
For those unable to reach the springs, the Iodo-Magnesian Company ran a business which distributed and sold the water by the bottle, keg, and even barrel.
Popularity

At the peak of its of fame, the site could garner quite the gathering on the weekends. Drinking from the waters was a social event and guests hosted often large picnics in the grassy clearing just above the springs.
In fact, the old road leading to the springs suffered from heavy erosion due to the heavy traffic the springs brought, prompting city officials to consider building a trolley line to the area.
Guests from far away would sometimes even stay in the Chamberlin family home nearby.
Beloit College ownership

In 1946, the property was gifted to Beloit College by T.C. Chamberlin's son, Rollin Chamberlin. Geology Professor Monta Wing, who arrived at
Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...
in 1923 after working at the University of Chicago, was a primary factor in convincing Rollin to donate the property to the college; Wing took several trips down to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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to speak with the Chamberlin family in an attempt to complete this goal.
Eventually, in 1946, he did, and for a long period of time, the property was left to become overgrown. Once acquired by the college, the site fulfilled its intended role as a multipurpose bird sanctuary, tree preserve, geology and biology field and research area, and even recreation area until 2000, when the area became overgrown and was rendered unusable.
Since the summer of 2012 however, an ongoing restoration project has cleared the immediate area around the spring of invasive overgrowth, removed vegetation to establish a trail and small parking lot, and even erected a locally sourced limestone pillar gate to mark the entrance of the property.
Today, the site continues to be used for field research by the departments of geology and biology.
Scientific work
A chemical analysis by the Columbia College Laboratory of the School of Mines was done back in the 1800s at the request of the Chamberlin brothers and placed in a brochure about the "Iodo-Magnesian Springs", advertising its "grains
f different chemicalsin one gallon."
12 different chemicals are identified in the water, and then a few "points of excellence" are identified regarding them.
In 1992, a chemical analysis was done on the springs in order to determine the effects of springs on a stream system.
This analysis focuses on how the actual springs influence the creek that they are a part of, as well as how the different rock styles from the
Rock River Rock River may refer to:
Streams
;United States
* Rock River (Mississippi River), a tributary of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and Illinois
* Rock River (Iowa), a tributary of the Big Sioux River in Minnesota and Iowa
* Rock River (Lake Mich ...
Basin area affect the stream. Additionally, students attending
Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...
also continue to perform research about various topics on site, including hydrology and sustainability.
Archaeological work

As of May 2017, no
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...
work has been done on the Chamberlin Springs site. Possible archaeological techniques for examining the site include
dendrochronology,
Ground Penetrating Radar
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a Geophysics, geophysical method that uses radar pulses to Geophysical imaging, image the subsurface. It is a non-intrusive method of surveying the sub-surface to investigate underground utilities such as concrete, ...
,
Geographic Information Systems
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with software tools for managing, analyzing, and visualizing those data. In a ...
Analysis (GIS), and shovel excavations.
References
{{coord, 42, 31, 14, N, 89, 06, 11, W, type:landmark_region:US-WI, display=title
Beloit, Wisconsin
Springs of Wisconsin
Beloit College