How One Rocky Mountain Mineral Hot Springs Has Become a Historic Icon

By Donna Wichelman

The human race has most likely enjoyed the benefits of mineral hot springs since the beginning of time. According to an article written by Mayumi Maruyama for CNN on June 8, 2023, the world’s oldest hot springs hotel opened its doors in 705 A.D. in the mountains of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture, and you can still stay at the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan today.

But why are these hot springs so popular around the world?

Tabacon Resort, Costa Rica: ID 246245502 © Noamfein | Dreamstime.com

Not only do mineral hot springs give warmth and relaxation to a weary body, reducing stress, but they also are reputed to provide all manner of other health benefits. Hot Springs enhance blood circulation due to the calcium and sodium bicarbonate in the water, and the elevated sulfur levels have antifungal and antibacterial properties, just to name a few.

It’s no wonder that Sigmund Dreher, the villain Georg Töpfer’s henchman in my historical romance, A Song of Deliverance, relished the mineral baths at Hot Soda Springs in Idaho Springs, Colorado. Though the hot springs were minuscule compared to the lavish Roman-style bathhouses the German man of military might had been accustomed to in Baden-Baden and he despised their position sitting “in the middle of an open, dusty field along a pathetic creek,” the Ocean Bath House at least gave him some level of stress reduction in a pinch. It was also the spot Dreher chose to conduct a clandestine meeting with his lackey, Elias Jones, to scheme against the mining mogul Stefan Maier.

Bath House at Idaho Springs: New York Library Digital Collections, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")

Historically, the Ute and Arapahoe held the Hot Soda Springs as a magical and sacred land for worship and healing before the white man ever came on the scene. The Soda Creek divided the line between the two nations.

Depiction of the Ute and Arapahoe at Hot Soda Springs: Every Day Migration to the Healing Waters

Then, in 1859 George A. Jackson headed into the Rocky Mountains through Mt. Vernon Canyon, hoping to find placer gold along the Vasquez Fork (today known as Clear Creek). As he explored the canyon and walked through snow drifts, he noticed steam rising from Soda Creek. Cautious of the local Indians, he crept up to find a thick vapor rising, which turned out to be what he referred to as the Big Geyser, and the place became known as Idaho Springs. Several years later, the geyser quit spewing water and steam and became pools of hot springs that bubbled up from the ground.

Following the discovery of the hot springs, miners used the baths for washing since it was a source of hot water. Two of those miners bought the land, but frustrated with their lot, they sold it to Dr. E.M. Cummings in 1863. Being a clever businessman, Dr. Cummings built a log and wood-frame house and charged the public for “health baths.”

Bath House at Idaho Springs: New York Library Digital Collections, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CCO Dedication")

In 1866, Harrison Montague bought the property, tore down the cabin, and built two large bathhouses, a stone bath house he called the “Ocean Bath House” and the “Mammoth.” A few years later, he built the center section still used today and called the area surrounding the hot springs the “Saratoga of the Rocky Mountains,” a hot springs resort in upstate New York known for its beautiful gardens and elegant Grand Hotel.

 Bath House at Idaho Springs: New York Library Digital Collections, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")

Underground Caves: Picture C/O Indian Hot Springs Resort

Gazebo Built in 1869, Hot Soda Springs Resort: Donna's Gallery, June 2019

Records from those early years show that five thousand people visited annually, crediting the strong healing powers of the baths. A local doctor in the community once complained to the town newspaper in 1879 that he was losing business to the hot springs since “Mr. Montague kept his baths open all winter.” 

The story is evidence of how well-visited the hot springs were then for their health benefits. Today, we know the hot springs are rich with minerals, including calcium, fluoride, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, silica, sodium, sulfate, and zinc, another reason the pools are so popular today.

Many historical figures have visited the Indian Hot Springs Resort. In A Song of Deliverance, Dreher mentions the infamous Jesse James. But many others have stopped by to soak in the hot springs, including Billy the Kid, Walt Whitman, Baby Doe Tabor, the Vanderbilts, and the Roosevelts. More contemporary folks include Clint Eastwood and John Denver.

John Denver: ID 79448564 | John Denver © Rene Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com

The Indian Hot Springs Resort has become a historic icon for the community of Idaho Springs. In 2014, the Lee family took over the resort, promising the previous owners that they would not let the historical significance of the hot springs die. 

The Lees continue to improve the facilities with updated pools, spa, and accommodations but maintain the historic nature of the property and buildings. The historic Gazebo where Signmund Dreher and Elias Jones met in A Song of Deliverance still exists, and the center section of the Ocean Bath House has been lovingly maintained. 

You can learn more about this beautiful Indian Hot Springs Resort in the Colorado Rockies by going to their website at https://indianhotsprings.com.

Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending the United World College of the Atlantic--an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.

Donna was a communications professional before writing full-time. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series. Her Gilded Age historical romance, A Song of Deliverance, released on December 3, 2024.

Donna and her husband of forty years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.