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Description
This is a color postcard of the main street through Hot Springs, showing the bath houses as they were in 1875. The postcard was never sent.
Biographical/Historical Note
Hot Springs, Arkansas, gets its name from the naturally thermal spring waters found in the area. Flowing out of the ground at an average temperature of 143°F, the hot springs produce almost one million gallons of water each day. Native Americans called this area "the Valley of the Vapors," and it was said to have been a neutral territory where all tribes could enjoy its healing waters in peace. Spanish and French settlers claimed the area in the mid-1500s. In 1832, President Andrew Jackson designed Hot Springs as the first federal reservation. Hot Springs Reservation was essentially America's first national park, predating Yellowstone National Park by 40 years. In just a decade, the area changed from a rough frontier town to an elegant spa city centered on a row of attractive Victorian-style bathhouses, the last ones completed in 1888. When Congress established the National Park Service, Hot Springs Reservation became Hot Springs National Park in 1921.
The city has a colorful history, which has brought many notable names to the resort location. From the late-1800s through the mid-1900s, especially in the 1930s, Hot Springs was a popular hangout for Al Capone, Frank Costello, Bugs Moran, Lucky Luciano, and other infamous mobsters. And in the early 20th century, a number of major league baseball teams held their spring training in Hot Springs, Arkansas, including the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Stockings.
Transcription
Hot Springs, Ark. The Worlds Sanitarium in 1875.
Compliments of W. G. Maurice.
Physical Description
Color postcard, 5.5" x 3.5"
Keywords
Postcards; Bathhouses; Resorts; Health; Health resorts
Geographical Area
Hot Springs, Garland County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
ASA postcard collection, G1375.1
Resource Type
Image
Collection
ASA postcard collection
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Hot Springs, Ark. The World's Sanitarium in 1875, ASA postcard collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
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