Several clear, sandy springs once stood in this area and for centuries provided refreshment to weary travelers. Osage Indian hunting parties camped here, and a Creek Indian community was located nearby from the mid-19th century to circa 1910. For decades, cattle driven to the railhead at Tulsa stopped here to drink. The M.K.&T. ("Katy") railway tracks were laid by the springs in the summer of 1903, and for many years this was a water stop for trains traveling from Tulsa to the town of Osage. In 1908, oilman Charles Page purchased land including the springs to establish an industrial town and a children's home. The Sand Springs Home built a spring house, stored farm products here, and built a greenhouse nearby. The springs supplied the needs of the home, and from 1908 to the mid-1920's, spring water was bottled and sold to residents of Sand Springs and the Tulsa area. In 1912, the nearby community voted to incorporate and unanimously chose the name Sand Springs in recognition of the springs' importance.