ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park
Historic Bathhouse Row is
one of the key features of the
National Park.
Historic Bathhouse Row is
one of the key features of the
National Park.
Hot Springs in Winter
The natural hot water
produces clouds of steam on
cold days.
The natural hot water
produces clouds of steam on
cold days.
Hot Springs from Above
A ride up the elevator of Hot
Springs Tower provides a
spectacular view of the city.
A ride up the elevator of Hot
Springs Tower provides a
spectacular view of the city.
Hot Springs National Park - A Natural Wonder in Arkansas
| Hot Springs National Park Steam rises from a natural hot water cascade at Hot Springs National Park. The park surrounds downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
The Hot Springs of the Ouachita
One of America's most intriguing natural
wonders has played a huge role in the
formation of the charming city of Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
The famed "Hot Springs of the Ouachita"
were acquired by the United States as part of
the Louisiana Purchase, but were already
well known by that time.
Native Americans had frequented the waters
for thousands of years before the arrival of
the first Europeans and there is slight
evidence - in the form a partial manuscript -
that the survivors of the Hernando de Soto
expedition visited the springs during the
1540s. They were also frequented by early
French explorers and traders.
The recorded history of Hot Springs National
Park began in 1804, however, when
President Thomas Jefferson sent two
scientists west to explore the Ouachita
Mountains and report on the springs. They
found an empty cabin and some huts used
by hunters at what is now Hot Springs.
Word of the steaming water quickly spread
and by 1820 streams of visitors were making
their way to Hot Springs to soak in crude
bathing pools dug near the springs. They
believed, as some people still do today, that
the naturally heated water could cure a
number of ailments.
In 1832 the U.S. Government set aside a
large reservation of land to protect the
springs, making Hot Springs National Park
the oldest federal nature reserve in the
country. The distinction gives local residents
justification for their claim that Hot Springs is
America's "First Resort."
The steaming water flowing from the
mountainsides attracted the attention of
Union soldiers who marched through on
their way to fight in the Red River Campaign
during the Civil War. They noted the area was
largely abandoned at that point, the residents
having fled due to the severity of the times.
In the years after the war, however, Hot
Springs boomed. The rustic gave way to the
extravagant and by the late 1800s
magnificent hotels and stylized bathhouses
began to dot the landscape of the beautiful
valley at Hot Springs.
wonders has played a huge role in the
formation of the charming city of Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
The famed "Hot Springs of the Ouachita"
were acquired by the United States as part of
the Louisiana Purchase, but were already
well known by that time.
Native Americans had frequented the waters
for thousands of years before the arrival of
the first Europeans and there is slight
evidence - in the form a partial manuscript -
that the survivors of the Hernando de Soto
expedition visited the springs during the
1540s. They were also frequented by early
French explorers and traders.
The recorded history of Hot Springs National
Park began in 1804, however, when
President Thomas Jefferson sent two
scientists west to explore the Ouachita
Mountains and report on the springs. They
found an empty cabin and some huts used
by hunters at what is now Hot Springs.
Word of the steaming water quickly spread
and by 1820 streams of visitors were making
their way to Hot Springs to soak in crude
bathing pools dug near the springs. They
believed, as some people still do today, that
the naturally heated water could cure a
number of ailments.
In 1832 the U.S. Government set aside a
large reservation of land to protect the
springs, making Hot Springs National Park
the oldest federal nature reserve in the
country. The distinction gives local residents
justification for their claim that Hot Springs is
America's "First Resort."
The steaming water flowing from the
mountainsides attracted the attention of
Union soldiers who marched through on
their way to fight in the Red River Campaign
during the Civil War. They noted the area was
largely abandoned at that point, the residents
having fled due to the severity of the times.
In the years after the war, however, Hot
Springs boomed. The rustic gave way to the
extravagant and by the late 1800s
magnificent hotels and stylized bathhouses
began to dot the landscape of the beautiful
valley at Hot Springs.
| Copyright 2008 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |
Jesse and Frank James were among those
who frequented the resort, which became
known for gambling and vice as well as its
spas. The James Gang was also credited
with nearby robberies.
During the 20th Century other names also
became linked with Hot Springs, names like
Al Capone, Frank Nash and Lucky Luciano.
Capone stayed at the historic Arlington Hotel,
but reportedly never crossed the street to the
national park because the rangers there
were federal law enforcement officers.
Fires and floods struck the city several times
during its history, but each time Bathhouse
Row was rebuilt, finally taking on its present
form. Governor Winthrop Rockefeller shut
down the illegal gambling in 1967 and the
eight surviving bathhouses are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Massive restoration efforts have since been
undertaken and today Hot Springs National
Park is considered an American treasure.
The park service maintains a visitor center in
one of the restored bathhouses and one of
the others is still operates as a spa. Beautiful
landscaping surrounds Bathhouse Row.
The park also preserves thousands of acres
of beautiful Ouachita Mountain scenery
featuring scenic drives, trails, picnic areas
and more.
who frequented the resort, which became
known for gambling and vice as well as its
spas. The James Gang was also credited
with nearby robberies.
During the 20th Century other names also
became linked with Hot Springs, names like
Al Capone, Frank Nash and Lucky Luciano.
Capone stayed at the historic Arlington Hotel,
but reportedly never crossed the street to the
national park because the rangers there
were federal law enforcement officers.
Fires and floods struck the city several times
during its history, but each time Bathhouse
Row was rebuilt, finally taking on its present
form. Governor Winthrop Rockefeller shut
down the illegal gambling in 1967 and the
eight surviving bathhouses are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Massive restoration efforts have since been
undertaken and today Hot Springs National
Park is considered an American treasure.
The park service maintains a visitor center in
one of the restored bathhouses and one of
the others is still operates as a spa. Beautiful
landscaping surrounds Bathhouse Row.
The park also preserves thousands of acres
of beautiful Ouachita Mountain scenery
featuring scenic drives, trails, picnic areas
and more.
The Hot Springs
Steam rises from a natural
spring at Hot Springs
National Park. The water is
heated by pressure as it rises
from deep in the earth.
Steam rises from a natural
spring at Hot Springs
National Park. The water is
heated by pressure as it rises
from deep in the earth.
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