Boiling Springs is a unique 18th century industrial settlement that developed into a 19th century provincial village and recreational area. The name of the village and its multilayered history revolve around its important water resources.
The name "Boiling Springs" is found in the earliest records of the area. This "Boiling Springs " designation was undoubtedly derived from the lake located on the tract. This man-made lake was formed in the early 1740s when the springs were dammed for the grist mill which still stands on the lake 's south east shore. A Blunston License, dated Feb. 21, 1737, indicates that a temporally license was granted to "Alexander Rhoddy for four hundred acres at a place called the Boiling Spring to be laid on both sides of the Yellow Briches Creeks: for the conveniency of building a mill." The lake and village are situated on and that was originally a part of a tract granted to Rev. Richard Peters by the Penn family, Oct. 13, 1762. In the early deeds, this 398 acre tract is referred to as "the Boiling Springs situated on Yellow Breeches Creek in Middleton Township."
On October 18, 2007, the Cumberland County Historical Society received notification from the National Park Service that the application for Kaufman's Station at the Village of Boiling Springs had been evaluated and was officially named a site on the Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The history of the Boiling Springs area is multi-layered and revolves around its water resources. Being located along the Ironstone Ridge that crosses the Cumberland Valley, a number of natural springs arise in the area and combine to form a stream that empties into the Yellow Breeches Creek just south of the village.
Interview of Richard Tritt by Susan Meehan on May 6, 2014. Tritt discusses his life in Cumberland County including Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Boiling Springs, and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.