| What makes it historical? |
The mineral waters of Manitou Springs fed the bellies and spirits of Ute people here from time immemorial! They considered this place sacred, hence the name “manitou,” and therefore no battles could be fought within a day’s march on all sides. This was not the philosophy of explorers, Stephen Harriman Long and Edwin James, who noted the springs in the 1820s and paved the way for tourism once the Utes were forcibly removed. During the 1860s, health resorts sprung up across Manitou Springs, drawing people seeking miraculous cures from such ailments as malaria, tuberculosis, and pneumonia!
Originally, this particular bathhouse was just a wooden gazebo, but it was expanded in 1920 to cover three soda springs: Shoshone, Navaho, and Manitou! With overnight rooms available, it gave tourists and health seekers a place to relax as they sampled the springs, whose varing levels of minerals gave each its own unique flavor! |
