By JENNIFER MOONSONG
Glasgow News 1
One cannot look back on the history of Barren County without tipping their hat to Big Spring Bottom, for it was one of the reasons the county seat of Glasgow is where it is.
According to the written history of Barren’s early days by Paul Holman, Jr.: “An important reason for locating the new county seat on John Gorin’s land was that there was a mammoth spring there called the Big Spring, which provided a copious flow of cool, clear and pure water. The spring was situated behind the buildings on the northeast corner of the Square, between Main Street and Water Street. It still flows out through the little stream that flows east along Washington Street. John Gorin was the first resident, and built his cabin on Water Street near the mouth of the spring.”
During America’s early days of settlers, a reliable and clean water source was a necessary and viable part of community’s successes and failures. Glasgow’s Big Spring Bottom was the source of drinking water washing clothes and watering livestock until 1811, when a law against the many uses was passed, due to public health and safety.
The old waterworks was comprised of a mill-powered pump, located in the Big Spring Bottom, between Main, Water Street, and North Green Street.
Barren County Historical Society
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