- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
Lake County Time Capsule: Hot springs history
Our county's hot springs history is remarkable and diverse. Back then, folks from the cities and countryside would flock to Lake County to soak and swim in the many and assorted spring waters that ran from hot to cold.
Many of the precious waters were bottled for consumption and boasted healing cures for whatever ailed one.
Lake County's spring waters or resorts numbered in excess of 100. They included Allen, Bear, Grizzly, Harbin, Royal, Siegler, Wilbur and many more.
California Indians took advantage of the many hot springs in what is now Lake County when the springs were used as gathering places and spiritual oases for centuries, long before the Euro-Americans “discovered” them.
Lake County's hot springs originated due to an intense heat deep below the earth's surface.
Layers of rock heat up which are situated above the molten rock. The magma is thought to be located about 4 miles beneath the earth at The Geysers, which is now known as the largest geothermal field in the world.
Since the rock is layered with fractures, water is heated naturally, creating hot springs and fumaroles across the land.
The book, "History of Lake County 1881" states:
"The springs of Lake County are a marvel, and to write of their beauty and usefulness would require the pen of a poet. They may be divided into three general classes, as follows: Pure cold water, cold mineral water, and thermal mineral water. Of the first there are thousands and thousands; every hill and mountain side teem with them, and the weary traveler and his thirsty beast find streams of pure water, cool and fresh, gushing from the wayside banks, and gathered into troughs for his convenience. The flow of these springs vary from a few gallons a day to barrels per minute. The largest flow, perhaps, in the county, is from the Howitzer Spring, the stream from which crosses the road a short distance north of the toll-house on Cobb Mountain. The amount of water which comes pouring forth from this place is something wonderful to contemplate, and, what is more strange, the yield seems to be always the same; winter's flood nor summer's drouth seem to have no appreciable effect upon it."
Anderson Springs was a popular destination for work-weary vacationers.
Anderson Springs began operation in 1873. There were accommodations for 30 at the hotel, and there were also bathhouses which utilized the nearby hot springs. One could also take a steam bath on the creek's hot spring.
Some of the springs at Anderson Springs were hot and some cold, with a total of nine different springs.The minerals which could be enjoyed included iron, magnesia, sulfur and combinations thereof.
Anderson Springs advertised, " No fog. No harsh winds. Sparkling trout stream bordered by trees. Ferns and flowers. Lovely wooded trails. Grand mountain scenery."
Harbin Hot Springs has a long resort history since it was settled by James Madison Harbin. In 1866, soon after his arrival, it became a destination resort.
It was a common site for travelers to pull in by stagecoach, having endured a nine-hour hour journey from San Francisco.
Besides “taking the waters,” guests had the option to play games such like croquet or bocce ball.
It was not uncommon for famous folks like heavyweight champion Jim Jeffries to train at Harbin in the early 1900s.
Another popular hot springs resort was Howard Hot Springs. They were located farther up Big Canyon Road, outside of Middletown, past the road from Harbin Hot Springs.
Their brochure boasted, "The door to health. We are sure that one visit is enough to convince you on your future vacations. Ask your doctor."
After World War I, when the Model T Ford car began to pop up across the country, the hot springs resort industry in Lake County declined. Then, folks chose to vacation where the highways led them.
Since Lake County was far off the beaten path, the numbers of hot springs resort vacationers diminished almost to the point of no return.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also formerly wrote for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.