The Buckhorn Baths Motel at 5900 East Main Street at the corner of North Recker Road in Mesa, Arizona was a small mineral hot springs resort which offered a bathhouse as well as both cottages and motel rooms for overnight stays. Beginning in 1936 as a gas station and store, Ted and Alice Sliger developed the property into a resort complex which opened in 1939 and was virtually complete as of 1947. It continued to operate until 1999, when the bathhouse closed, although the motel and "Wildlife Museum" continued until 2004.
Although built over the course of more than a decade, the buildings are all designed in the Pueblo Revival style. The majority of the complex – but not buildings on the adjoining parcel of land to the west, also owned by the Singers and integrated into the resort complex – was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
History
The office (2021)
In 1936, Ted Sliger's store and lunch counter in Mesa, "Desert Wells", burned down, destroying his collection of taxidermy, except for one buckhorn deer, which was on loan. He and his wife, Alice, bought a 10-acre (4.0ha) property in the open desert seven miles (11.27km)outside of Mesa – they would eventually add parcels of land to the west and north[note 1]– bought a house from a neighbor and had it moved to the property. The constructed a store from bricks scavenged from a demolished Mesa school, from which they sold gasoline and a variety of products, including groceries, hunting and fishing licenses, fishing tackle, and Native American jewelry and rugs. In 1938 they expanded the store in order to display Ted's taxidermy work – a service he provided to hunters and fisherman; this would evolve into a "Wildlife Museum" with over 400 specimens.[1][2] Because they had to haul in all of their drinking water, in 1939 the Sligers sunk a well, but the water they struck was 112°F (44.4°C) mineral water. To exploit their new find, they build a bathhouse with the capacity of 75 people, and cottages to accommodate those who wished to stay overnight.[note 2] They named their business "Buckhorn", after the one piece of Ted's taxidermy which had been saved from the fire.[1]
The road which run along the Sliger's property – now Mesa's East Main Street – was both the principle commercial street in the city of Mesa, but also the most import tourist road in the Salt River Valley. It connected Phoenix with such recreational and tourist areas as the lakes on the dammed Salt River, the Superstition Mountains, the Apache Trail and the small mining towns to the east, such as Superior, Miami and Globe. Thus the new resort was well-placed to attract visitors at a time when automobile tourism was increasing after the end of the Depression, and automobile tourist facilities were becoming increasing visible on the landscape – by 1939, when the Buckhorn opened, there were 13,000 such "motor courts" in the U.S. These would soon develop into the more sophisticated "motel", a motor court with some of the amenities of a hotel.[1][note 3]
One of the cottages (2021)
At the time, mineral spring were very popular in the U.S. due to their supposedly curative value, and to the social status which came from "taking the waters" at many of the spas. In the desert west, especially, where people came to take advantage of the hot dry climate in tending to their respiratory problems, such as asthma and tuberculosis, the appeal of such mineral water treatments was a natural fit. The sliger's advertised their resort in 1950 as "beneficial in the treatment of arthritis, neuritis, neuralgia, gout, anemia, sciatic, overweight, underweight, high blood pressure, nicotine poisoning, blood and skin diseases, kidney, bladder and liver troubles, chronically nervous and exhausted, inflammatory rheumatism, stomach disorders [and] rehabilitation following: strokes, polio, fratures. Also good for muscle toning and reconditioning."[1]
Between 1940 and 1947, the Sligers improved and extended their asset, expanding the bathhouse – which, because it was built in stages, is irregular and sprawling in plan – building the motel, and adding commercial space to the Main Street building. They closed the gas station, removed the porte-cochere which had sheltered the gas pumps, and added the large sandstone-supported neon sign which advertised the "Buckhorn Hot Mineral Baths Motel". Sometime during World War II, additional double cottages were moved to the property west of the original site and integrated into the resort.[note 4] The motel became a Greyhound bus depot in 1942, and in 1947 the New York Giants baseball selected the Buckhorn for their base of operations during spring training. The bus depot closed in 1972, the same year that the Giants moved to a hotel in Casa Grande.[1]
Although from Main Street, the front structure appears to be one building, in large part it is a collection of individual buildings. The office/owner's residence and the museum/lobby share a common wall but the roof of each is different. The post office and the store office are completely separate buildings, with walkways between the which provide access from the front parking lot to the interior of the complex. However all of these units share an arcade and parapet and, most importantly, their Pueblo Revival design. The use of mortared stones and metates (Indian grindstones) to build walls and other decorative objects on the grounds is another unifying factor.[1]
Part of the Cactus Garden, nd the sign advertising the "Wildlife Museum", which was a large display of taxidermy specimens stuffed by Ted Sliger, one of the owners of the resort. (2021)
At its peak, 100 guests could stay at the Buckhorn, which offered a cafe and dining room, a gift shop, a beauty salon, a taxidermy museum – which also displayed Native American relics and served as a lobby and television room, a cactus garden, and a post office – contracted in 1956 and closed in 1983. The motel offered amenities such as an 18-hole desert golf course, fireplace/barbecue area and a shuffleboard court, and the grounds featured manicured lawns, palm trees and other foliage, and decorative pools and fountains. Four additional wells were dug, and by 1974 the bathhouse had separate entrances for men and women and 27 private baths, as well as whirlpool baths, massage and cooling rooms, and a facility for "colon therapy". The resort employed white-uniformed trained masseurs and masseuses, physical therapists and nurses. The mineral water in the baths was 106°F (41°C).[1]
Throughout the development of the Buckhorn Baths complex, the city of Mesa was expanding, and in 1974, the motel became part of the city. After the death of Ted Sliger in 1984, Alice Sliger continued to run the resort. The baths closed in 1999, and the motel and museum in 2004. Some of the motel units continued to be occupied as apartments.[1][note 5]
Recent
In 2012, the voters of Mesa passed a $70 million parks bond issue, which included $5 million for the purchase and renovation of the Buckhorn property by the city, however the sale never took place, falling through in 2015 due to disagreements among the Sliger family, who still owned the property at that time.[3][4]
The Sligers sold the 1,562-acre (632ha) property in 2017 to the McHenry Family Trust, doing business as Avenue Shoppes LLC, for $2.15 million. It was to be developed by Cameron Cooke of Urban Fabric Builders, who said their watchwords would be "deconstruct not demolish" and that they would "[try] to protect the historically significant elements of the site." The Mesa Preservation Foundation had previously estimated that a full restoration could cost as much as $10 million, including the cost of buying the property. The mineral water continues to be available to flow, but new pipes would be required, as the old one were cast iron.[4][5][6] In 2019 the new owners donated the taxidermy collection to a biodiversity group at Arizona State University. The School of Life Sciences' Natural History Collection catalogued over 300 of the more than 400 specimens, and will attempt to donate the rest to other organizations.[7]
In 2021 it was report that there was the possibility that a boutique hotel would open in the Buckhorn buildings. Ajay Verma, who bought the property after it fell into receivership, had not filed any formal plans, but the report said that the project was planned to be financed by the demolition of some parts of the complex to make way for building at least 200 1,300-square-foot (120m2) three-bedroom townhouses with two-car garages. Mesa architect Tim Boyle is point-person for the project, and he brought in another architect who specializes in historic preservation, Ron Peters, also from Mesa.[3][8]
Sharon Springs is a village in Schoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 558 at the 2010 census. Its name derives from the hometown of the first colonial settlers, Sharon, Connecticut, and the important springs in the village. Sharon Springs, Kansas likewise was settled by former residents of this upstate New York village.
The Arizona Biltmore Hotel is a resort located in Phoenix near 24th Street and Camelback Road. Designed by Albert Chase McArthur, it opened on February 23, 1929 as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. Actors Clark Gable and Carole Lombard often stayed there and the Tequila sunrise cocktail was invented there. It later became part of Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts.
Hot Springs National Park is an American national park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832, to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town.
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. In addition to their hygienic function, public baths have also been social meeting places. They have included saunas, massages, and other relaxation therapies, as are found in contemporary day spas. As the percentage of dwellings containing private bathrooms has increased in some societies, the need for public baths has diminished, and they are now almost exclusively used recreationally.
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas and medspas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments.
Berkeley Springs State Park is situated in the center of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, USA. The centerpiece of the Park is its historic mineral spa. These waters were celebrated for their medicinal or restorative powers and were generally taken internally for digestive disorders, or bathed in for stress relief. Native peoples visited these springs as did George Washington. Berkeley Springs is the only state-run spa in the United States and is operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Tsqaltubo is a spa resort in west-central Georgia. It is the main town of the Tsqaltubo Municipality of the Imereti province. It is known for its radon-carbonate mineral springs, whose natural temperature of 33–35 °C (91–95 °F) enables the water to be used without preliminary heating.
Bathing played a major part in ancient Roman culture and society. It was one of the most common daily activities and was practised across a wide variety of social classes. Though many contemporary cultures see bathing as a very 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.
Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The bathhouses were included in 1832 when the Federal Government took over four parcels of land to preserve 47 natural hot springs, their mineral waters which lack the sulphur odor of most hot springs, and their area of origin on the lower slopes of Hot Springs Mountain.
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.
Howard Springs is 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.
Seigler Springs is a set of springs in Lake County, California around which a resort developed in the 19th century. In the 1930s the resort was expanded, and in 1947 an airport opened nearby. The resort declined in the 1960s. Part of it was separated out and became a residential subdivision, while part became a religious retreat. The 2015 Valley Fire caused great damage.
Buckhorn Springs is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Emigrant Creek in the Siskiyou Mountains southeast of Ashland. Buckhorn Springs Road connects the community to Oregon Route 66 near Emigrant Lake.
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.
Tate Springs was a historic world-class luxury resort complex located on U.S. Route 11W in Bean Station, Tennessee, United States. Known for its mineral spring water shipped internationally, it was considered to be one of the most popular resorts of its time in the Southern United States, and was visited by many wealthy and prominent families such as the Ford, Rockefeller, Firestone, Studebaker, and Mellon families.
Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells also known as Buckhorn Baths, and Buckhorn Mineral Wells is a hot spring located seven miles East of Mesa, Arizona.
Indian Hot Springs, also known as Holladay Hot Springs and Eden Hot Springs, is a geothermal spring system located near Eden, Arizona in the former settlement of Indian Hot Springs, Arizona. The springs have also been referred to as "Jewel in the Desert" and Indian Hot Springs at Eden.
Eden Hot Springs was a historic hot springs and resort in Riverside County, California, United States.
References
Informational notes
↑ The property to the north was at one point a trailer park; only some concrete pads and a small restroom remain.
↑ Although the cottages had a small kitchenette with sink, stove and refrigerator, they did not have showers or tubs, since the guests were expected to bathe in the resort's bathhouse. The cottages are identical except for two which shared a carport, while the others had their own.
↑ Although the neon sign they put up refers to the resort as a "Motel", the Sligers never used this word in their advertising.
↑ These buildings are not included in the NRHP listing.
↑ 2004 is the date of closure given in the NRHP application, which was written at that time, but more recent sources give 2007 as the date that the motel and museum closed.
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.
