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Vishnu Springs is a forgotten ghost town tucked into a secluded valley of the LaMoine River, near Macomb, IL. It was founded in 1889 by Darius Hicks, was known through most of its short life as a health resort containing spring water with magical healing properties, and was abandoned in the 1920's after a brief second incarnation as a mobster hangout. A couple of attempts to restore the Capitol Hotel followed, and in the 1970s, Vishnu Springs was briefly a commune for hippie college students from nearby WIU. Today, it sits abandoned in its hidden valley, only a local legend even to most who live nearby. Not much remains, though the fabled waters of Vishnu Spring still flow. The property's present owner (Western Illinois University) specifically instructs would-be caretakers to let it rot. Vishnu Springs is a beautiful, historic place that won't be around much longer without the intervention of those who love it.
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