Lithia Springs Recreation Park, Northumberland County

Lithia Springs, Northumberland County Pa

From the Point Twp Website:

Snuggled in a valley a mile and a half northeast of the borough of Northumberland, there are seventeen acres of very beautiful rolling pine woods.  

Here are found springs of Lithia, sulfur, magnesia and iron waters. 

Tuckahoe Spring Water Bottle

 In 1909 “The Tuckahoe Mineral Springs Company” was formed for the purpose of bottling and selling these mineral waters.  For many years huge barrels were used to send the spring water to many sections of the country.

In 1920, the Lee H. Mertz family purchased Lithia Springs, and two years later Mr. Mertz had a swimming pool built on the grounds.  

This was one of the earliest pools in the state and the “Springs” soon became one of the most popular gathering spots in the area.

The Mertz family also featured Wednesday and Sunday dinners in the restaurant for many years and there was often as many as 800 people served. 

"As Lithia Springs became more popular, the owner, Lee H. Mertz, added a long slide to the swimming pool. The slide was one of the earlier ones, and each swimmer had to empty a bucket of water down the chute to guarantee a smooth, fast ride. The slide was such a big hit that a diving tower and a swing were added to the pool. The swing was operated by a swimmer climbing up the steps to the platform, sitting in the swing and kicking the release lever. The swing then went out over the deep part of the pool, and the swimmer had the option of either leaving the swing head first or feet first, down into the cool water. Water in the pool froze during the winter months, and ice was cut in blocks and stored in the icehouse for future use in the restaurant during the summer months. Dinner was served in the restaurant Sundays and Wednesdays, with chicken being the specialty. Two stores were opened. One sold hot dogs, hamburgers and other picnic food. The other sold candy, potato chips and ice cream." - From the North'd Co Historical Society

 A variety of amusement rides and live entertainment were a feature in the early days, and the shady picnic area was the happy scene of many a school, Church, grange and family outing.

In 1938, Mr. Mertz converted the old restaurant and began operation of the bottled soft drink works using the delicious Lithia water.  Flavors included sarsaprilla, teaberry, cherry, lemon and ginger.

At the present time the “Springs” has thirty-five cottages, all individually owned, and some of these are leased for the summer vacation months.  Many have been converted into permanent homes.

Since the death of Mr. Mertz in 1965, use of the picnic area and pool has been discontinued, but the Lithia water, which was once sold, is still flowing and available for the asking.

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