WHITE SPRINGS

resort town, Hamilton county, northern Florida, U.S., on the north bank of the Suwannee River, 65 miles (105 km) west of Jacksonville. The Indians considered the springs sacred and went there to recuperate after battle; white settlement dates from 1826. During the American Civil War (186165) the area was known as Rebel's Refuge because many plantation owners moved there, away from Union invasion routes. The modern town was founded in about 1900 when R.J. Camp promoted the medicinal properties of the clear spring waters. The town is the headquarters of the Suwannee River Water Management District, and phosphate mining is a local industry. The Stephen Foster Memorial is a 243-acre (98-hectare) park with a museum displaying Foster memorabilia; atop a 200-foot (61-metre) tower is a 97-bell carillon, on which the composer's works are performed daily. The Stephen Foster Memorial Week (January) and the Florida Folk Festival (May) are annual events. The Osceola National Forest is a few miles east. Pop. (1990) 704.