Minnehaha Springs is a small area in Pocahontas County, near Marlinton. It was named Minnehaha after a character in Henry Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha.”

In the early 1900s, people realized the local spring—with its constant temperature and rumored healing powers—could attract visitors. A new railroad had made it easy for travelers to reach the area. In 1912, a public bathing pool opened. In 1914, a two-story hotel was built to attract tourists. Although the hotel burned down in 1945, it was the county's first business built just for tourism.