Bimini Baths

Last updated

Bimini Baths
Bimini Hot Springs, Los Angeles, Cal. (cropped).jpg
An exterior view of the Bimini Hot Springs building, circa 1920 [1]
Bimini Baths
Coordinates 34°04′13″N118°17′23″W / 34.0704°N 118.2898°W / 34.0704; -118.2898
Discharge380 liters/minute [2]
Temperature40 °C (104 °F) [2]
Depth354 metres (1,161 ft) [2]

Bimini Baths (also, Bimini Hot Springs and Sanitarium; [3] currently Bimini Slough Ecology Park) was a geothermal mineral water public bathhouse and plunge in what is now Koreatown, Los Angeles, California, US. It was situated just west of downtown, near Third Street and Vermont Avenue. Bimini Baths contained a natatorium, swimming pools, swimming plunge, Turkish baths, a medical treatment department, and bottling works. [4] [1]

Contents

History

In the 19th century, the area was a 45 acres (18 ha) marsh with 104 °F (40 °C) natural hot springs. The waters were discovered during oil drilling exploration. They were discovered by a man who was boring for oil at a depth of 1,750 feet (530 m) under 3 feet (0.91 m) of solid white marble. [4] Named after the Bahamian island of Bimini, [5] the venue was owned and operated by Dr. David W. Edwards, president and treasurer of the Bimini Water Company; and David W. Edwards, Jr. served as vice president and secretary. [1] The company was founded December 31, 1902. [4] In 1903, the bath house opened. [1] In the following year, Bimini Hotel was built across the street, and the spring waters were pumped to it. In 1917, J. J. Warrick was manager of the baths and sanitarium. [6] An outdoor pool was added to the baths in 1921. [5] "... Mexicans were only allowed in on the day before the water in the pool was going to be changed, when it was too dirty for whites to swim in." [7]

Besides the baths, the Bimini Water Company delivered plain and carbonated water to Los Angeles residents. The company provided the water prior to 1915 when the city mains installation occurred. [5] [8] The business went bankrupt in 1951 and the buildings were demolished in 1956. [1]

In the present day, the springs area has become Bimini Slough Ecology Park, featuring native plant stands and a creekbed. The hotel has become headquarters for the Mary Lind Foundation. [5]

Hot springs

The well was reported to yield 100 gallons a minute of water at a temperature of 104 °F. The primary alkalinity of the water gave it a peculiar soft feeling that led to the nickname, "the velvet baths." The well was drilled 1,750 feet (530 m) deep in Tertiary age sediments that make up the oil formation in this locale. [9] Containing no sulphur, it carries a large quantity of sodium carbonate and sodium chloride, with some potassium chloride, magnesium carbonate, iron, alumina, and free carbonic acid. [4]

Architecture and fittings

The large wooden building contained a 50-yard main pool, a separate pool for women, and other private pools. In addition, the venue had a cafe, pool observation balcony, and 500 dressing rooms. [10] The original building was destroyed in 1905 during a fire. It was rebuilt in 1906 in Mission revival style by a design of Thornton Fitzhugh. [5] The new construction featured a Turkish Bath, additional pools, and rooftop gardens. [11] The bathing resort also featured a sanitarium. Tub baths and three large swimming plunges were available for the public. A sanitarium hotel nearby was under the same management. [9] The bathhouse was located across the Palomar Ballroom, a popular venue of the big band era. [12]

Arroyo de la Sacatela and Bimini Slough

A tributary of Ballona Creek called Arroyo de la Sacatela once came down from Franklin Hills before feeding into Bimini Slough near what is now the L.A. Eco-Village. [13] Bimini Slough was a historic wetland located along what is now Vermont Avenue, roughly bounded by 1st Street and Wilshire Boulevard on the north and south, and Berendo and Virgil on the west and east. [12] The lowland that supported Bimini Slough was filled with soil in 1931 to make way for a new housing development. [12]

Additional images

"Know Your City No. 141: Entrance and facade of old Bimini Hot Springs and Bath" photo from the Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1956 (UCLA Library) Uclalat 1429 b257 95950FI Know Your City No.141 Entrance and facade of old Bimini Hot Springs and Bath Los Angeles, Calif. 1956-04-07.jpg
"Know Your City No. 141: Entrance and façade of old Bimini Hot Springs and Bath" photo from the Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1956 (UCLA Library)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murrieta Hot Springs, California</span> Place in California, United States

Murrieta Hot Springs is a neighborhood in the eastern region of Murrieta, California, which was annexed on July 1, 2002. Prior to annexation, Murrieta Hot Springs was a Census-designated place of Riverside County, California. The population was 2,948 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Code 92362 was originally used, until 92563 was introduced in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public bathing</span> Buildings with swimming pools or other facilities for bathing

Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spa</span> Location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths

A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to prehistoric times. Spa towns, spa resorts, and day spas are popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gellért Baths</span> Historic site in Budapest, Hungary

The Gellért Thermal Bath, also known as the Gellért Baths, is a bath complex in Budapest in Hungary. It is part of the famous Hotel Gellért in Buda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Széchenyi thermal bath</span> Historic site in Budapest, Hungary

The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, one at 74 °C (165 °F) and the other at 77 °C (171 °F).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banff Upper Hot Springs</span> Thermal springs in Canada

Banff Upper Hot Springs are commercially developed hot springs located in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, near the Banff townsite. Europeans first became aware of the springs in 1883. As it has been developed since, the hot pool is outdoors and while in the pool, visitors can look across the valley to Mount Rundle. It is located at 1,585 metres (5,200 ft) of elevation, which makes it the highest hot spring in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Baths Committee</span> Former public body in Birmingham, England

The Birmingham Baths Committee was an organisation responsible for the provision and maintenance of public swimming and bathing facilities. Birmingham City Council funded, constructed and ran bathing facilities throughout the city. The movement to develop baths and wash houses in Britain had its impetus with the rapid urbanisation of the Industrial Revolution, which was felt acutely in Birmingham, one of England's powerhouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient Roman bathing</span> Custom of ancient Roman society

Bathing played a major part in ancient Roman culture and society. It was one of the most common daily activities and was practiced across a wide variety of social classes. Though many contemporary cultures see bathing as a private activity conducted in the home, bathing in Rome was a communal activity. While the extremely wealthy could afford bathing facilities in their homes, private baths were very uncommon, and most people bathed in the communal baths (thermae). In some ways, these resembled modern-day destination spas as there were facilities for a variety of activities from exercising to sunbathing to swimming and massage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scovern Hot Springs</span> Former settlement in California, United States

Scovern Hot Springs is a thermal spring system, and former settlement in the Kern River Valley of the Southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rock Springs, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Castle Rock Springs was a resort Lake County, California built around a group of mineral springs, including one hot spring with relatively high volumes of water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Springs, California</span> Resort in California, United States

Howard Springs is a set of springs turned into a resort in the 1870s in Lake County, California. The resort catered primarily to people interested in the curative powers of the mineral waters. Guests were accommodated in cabins or tents. At one time it had an official post office. The resort changed hands many times over the years, with various changes to the lodge, accommodations and bathhouses, until closing in 1970. For a period it was leased for geothermal exploration. Today it has reopened as a health resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seminole Hot Springs, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Seminole Hot Springs is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Seminole Hot Springs is located in the Santa Monica Mountains near Cornell, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) south-southeast of Agoura Hills at an elevation of 932 feet (284 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greek baths</span> Public bathing place in ancient Greece

Greek baths were bath complexes suitable for bathing and cleaning in ancient Greece, similar in concept to that of the Roman baths. Greek baths are a feature of some Hellenized countries. These baths have been found in Greece, Egypt, Italy, and there is even one located in Marseille, France. Some of the first baths have been dated back to the 5th century BCE. The public baths had a gradual development into the flourishing, culturally-significant structures of the Hellenistic age. The multiple locations of the baths throughout the Mediterranean offer different, culturally-unique developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buxton Baths</span> Listed buildings in Derbyshire, England

The Buxton Baths using natural thermal spring water are in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. The baths date back to Roman times and were the basis for developing Buxton as a Georgian and Victorian spa town. The present buildings of the Thermal Baths and the Natural Mineral Baths were opened in the 1850s. They are positioned either side of the Buxton Crescent at the foot of The Slopes in the town's Central Conservation Area. They are both Grade II listed buildings designed by Henry Currey, architect for the 7th Duke of Devonshire.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is a resort in Silver Bow County, Montana, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radium Sulphur Springs</span> Los Angeles, California geothermal spa

Radium Sulphur Springs, located on the north side of Melrose Avenue between Larchmont and Gower Street in Los Angeles, California, U.S., was an early-20th-century hot spring that resulted from an unsuccessful attempt to drill 1,500 feet (460 m) for oil. "Discovered" in 1905 and opened as a spa by G. P. Gehring in 1908, the owners claimed that the water was radioactive, germicidal, and blood purifying. The supposed radioactivity of water was advertised as "liquid sunshine" and was part of the larger radium fad of the early 20th century. The spa was located in Colegrove, an electric-railway stop and associated community just south of Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Point, California</span> Geographic landmark

White Point is a minor headland or promontory of the California coast in the United States. White Point / Royal Palms Beach is a county-operated public beach in San Pedro, Los Angeles. White Point Hot Springs are naturally occurring sulphured hot springs along the shoreline at White Point/Royal Palms Beach. A resort centered on the springs existed in the early 20th century. White Point is a popular surfing and underwater-diving spot, and the tide pools remain an attraction. White Point Nature Preserve is adjacent to the beach.

Beverly Hot Springs is the only remaining natural geothermal hot spring within the center of the city of Los Angeles. It is located between Beverly Hills and downtown Los Angeles on what is now Oxford Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvarado Hot Springs</span> Defunct water source in California

Alvarado Hot Springs was a 20th-century geothermal well in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A bathhouse was built next to the water and a therapeutic spa was operated on the site for several decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delonegha Hot Springs</span> Geothermal site in California

Delonegha Hot Springs are located in Kern County, California, United States, northeast of the city of Bakersfield and southeast of Glennville. Delonegha is one of several hot springs adjacent to the Kern River and State Route 178. The springs lie within the boundaries of Sequoia National Forest, "100 yd (91 m) down a steep dirt trail" from the highway. Except for a brief period in the first years of the 20th century when there was a small resort at the site, the Delonegha springs have remained largely undeveloped.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bimini Hot Springs, Los Angeles, Cal". Loyola Marymount University, William H. Hannon Library. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Higgins, Chris T.; Therberge, Albert E. Jr.; Ikelman, Joy A. (1980). Geothermal Resources of California (PDF) (Map). NOAA National Geophysical Center. Sacramento: California Department of Mines and Geology.
  3. ↑ Polk's Medical Register and Directory of North America (Public domain ed.). Polk. 1914. p. 2230.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Bimini Water Company". Los Angeles Herald. Vol. 32, no. 337. 3 September 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Rasmussen, Cecilia (25 January 2004). "At Site of Former Baths, History Still Runs Deep". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Merrill, Frederick James Hamilton; California State Mining Bureau (1917). Mines and mineral resources of Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County (Public domain ed.). California state printing office. p. 48.
  7. ↑ Knowles, Mark (28 August 2013). The Man Who Made the Jailhouse Rock: Alex Romero, Hollywood Choreographer. McFarland. p. 44. ISBN   978-1-4766-0368-1.
  8. ↑ Nichols, Chris (25 January 2013). "Video Village With Ask Chris: The Long-Lost Bimini Baths Of Koreatown". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  9. 1 2 Waring, Gerald A. (1915). Water-supply Paper (Public domain ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 71.
  10. ↑ Stargel, Cory; Stargel, Sarah (August 2010). Vanishing Los Angeles County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN   978-0-7385-8100-2.
  11. ↑ "Bimini Hot Springs, Los Angeles, Cal". Calisphere, a service of the UC Libraries. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Rasmussen, Cecilia (9 March 1992). "L.A. Scene: The City Then and Now". The Los Angeles Times. p. 51. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Uncovering L.A.'s Lost Streams". PBS SoCal. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.