Tuscan Springs in Tehama County, California, was a cluster of hot mineral springs that became important both as an early borax site and as a resort. On January 8, 1856, Dr. John A. Veatch identified borax there while evaporating spring water, a discovery described as the first reported finding of borax on the American continent. Free boric acid also appeared around the springs. The site soon developed into a health resort with a large hotel, cottages, bathhouses, and a heated pool. Fires destroyed successive hotels in 1900 and 1916, and the site was later abandoned, leaving mainly ruins.