Tahama Spring is a mineral spring in Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs. Named by the city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, the spring honors Tamaha, who is mentioned by explorer Zebulon Montgomery Pike in two journal entries in 1805. When the local Parks Board commissioned a pavilion in 1926 to commemorate these early pioneers, the name “Tahama Spring” was selected and inscribed on decorative limestone-carved cartouches above each entrance.
History The Pike expedition opened the central-west and southwest region to trade and the growth of industry and settlements. In 1870, Palmer created the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) and envisioned connecting Denver south to a new resort community and eventually to Mexico. He founded Colorado Springs along Monument Creek, due east of Pikes Peak, where mineral springs had been reported. The local newspaper detailed how mineral water was piped to the D&RG depot in 1871, but those improvements were lost in periodic flooding along the shifting creek basin. During excavations in 1880 to accommodate a new railroad bridge for the D&RG, Monument Creek was reconfigured in an area just north of downtown Colorado Springs. Within the newly carved creek banks, numerous chalybeate mineral springs slowly reemerged and were discovered by Dr. Charles Gatchell. Iron salts from the spring water had discolored the creek banks allowing Gatchell to trace the flow to the source. Many enjoyed the mineral springs, and Palmer often visited the area to draw water. However, continued flooding over the next few years buried the springs with sands, and the source of the mineral water was again lost for a time. With the area covered, it was neglected and became unsightly and littered with bottles and tin cans by vagrants. Intending to memorialize the community's original spring and to beautify the surrounding grounds, Palmer envisioned Monument Valley Park, a world-class public green similar to those he had seen in England. In 1904, he tasked chief engineer Edmond C. Van Diest to create a “charming and picturesque” network of gardens, water features and bridges. Palmer also announced plans for a handsome structure at the mineral spring, comparable to the finely crafted springhouses in neighboring Manitou Springs. To locate the spring, Palmer and his good friend, park enthusiast Mrs. Gilbert McClurg, visited the park's site and flagged the spring's approximate whereabouts. Palmer then directed his engineer team to begin an excavation. Once the spring was located, the water flow was traced inland about 50 feet from the creek bank and a cistern structure was built to a depth of 12 feet. A font was erected at grade with a pipe extending downward to the water flow, and a hand pump was installed to bring water to the surface. While many referred to the spring initially as “Carlsbad Spring,” Palmer preferred naming the spring after "Tammaha," the man believed to be Zebulon Pike's Sioux Indian scout. This would commemorate Tammaha's presumed service in the expedition, which was crucial to opening the high plains and foothills for Palmer and his new community. Palmer had already honored Pike with a statue of the explorer near the main entrance of the Antlers Hotel, and he was eager to honor Tammaha as well. The mineral spring was enjoyed by the public, and, in June 1905, Edward C. Schneider, a professor at Colorado College, published an analysis of the mineral content and proclaimed the water's purity. The source of the spring water was also documented. “Water flows from the west along a shale layer and empties into Monument Creek,” Schneider noted, and the water “is not sourced or influenced by the creek, but is pure.” The mineral spring was a popular feature of Monument Valley Park, which was completed for public use in November 1907, but its name was undecided. As a placeholder, Palmer had simply noted “Mineral Spring” on the map of the park. Tragically, Palmer was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1906 and died in 1909. Some years later, community leaders sought ideas from the public to honor Palmer. It was then, in 1923, that McClurg proposed a memorial to Palmer, Pike and Tahama and to carry out Palmer's wishes in naming the mineral spring. The public agreed and embraced McClurg's proposal. Soon after, the Parks Board selected “Tahama” as the name for the spring and commissioned the design of a pavilion. The structure was to be a memorial to “Tahama, the native; Lieut. Zebulon Pike, the explorer, and Gen. William J. Palmer, the founder.” The pavilion and refurbished spring font opened in the summer of 1926. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by architect Elmer L. Nieman, the pavilion was octagonal in plan, constructed of masonry and embellished with limestone accents and terracotta roofing. Four opposing arches had iron railings with integral benches facing inward toward the font while the alternating four arches served as entrances. Bronze medallions were placed on the interior above each entrance with castings in the likenesses of Tahama, Pike, and Palmer and a fourth plaque offered a brief epitaph on each man. A few years later a bridge was installed to link Tahama Spring directly to the downtown area allowing pedestrians easier access from the east side of the creek. Local resident and park neighbor, Helen McCaffrey, recalled in 2015 during an interview with the Historic Preservation Alliance of Colorado Springs (HPA), that she often crossed that bridge to reach the spring. She also confirmed that the pavilion was a roofed structure where she and a high school sweetheart would often visit.
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