Hot Lake History
Hot Lake History
Voices from the Past
1800s | 1900s | 2000s
1800s
Pre-1812: Many Native American tribes used the hot springs as a place to nurse their injured or sick and rest on neutral ground. Hot Lake was called Ea-Kesh-Pa to the Nez Perce.1812: New year's Day hosted the first white men, the 32 members of the William Price Hunt expedition. On August 7th, Roberty Stuart of the party discovered the hot spring. The spring became a popular stop for fur traders passing through to soak in the warm springs. Capt. Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville also visited Hot Lake in later years.
1840: Throughout the time of the Oregon Trail, Hot Lake was frequently visited by thousands of travelers who stopped at the well-known spa.
1850: Gold was discovered and the miners detoured through Hot Lake to use the soothing spring. During this time, mining also occurred in the mountains and a trail to the mining towns passed by Hot Lake. The lake was homesteaded by two pioneers named Fitzgerald and Newhard around 1850.
1864: Newhard built the first wooden structure in partnership with Mr. Clark. The original hotel faced the bluff rather than the lake. The "Town Under One Roof" was developed. It was called the world's first covered shopping mall. It contained a blacksmith's shop, post office, dance hall, barber shop, drug store, garden shop, and bath houses.
1878: Clark dies.
1883: Samuel Newhard is appointed the first postmaster of Hot Lake.
1884: Union Pacific railroad, linking Oregon with the transcontential system was completed. It bisected the Hot Lake property and put Hot Lake on the map. Mail came daily. Population of Hot Lake was 50.
1887: Plan comes under way to use the spring to provide La Grande with hot water. This plan was never completed because of lack of funds.
1900s
1901: Walter Pierce became a shareholder in Hot Lake (which became incorporated), investing $100,000.1902: Hot Lake's size and shape were enlarged to accommodate the people and facility.
1903: Samuel Newhard leased Hot Lake to Dr. Minthorn and "Bear" Cook. They tore down the original wooden structure built by Newhard and Clark. The modern wood hotel and housing over the spring was built.
1904: Dr. William T. Phy became director of the facility.
1906: Walter Pierce became active in his dealing with Hot Lake. Construction of the brick structure began. John V. Mennes was the architect (he also designed Inlow Hall at Eastern Oregon University and numerous buildings in Portland). Dr. Phy owned 10,000 of the 60,000 shares in Hot Lake.
1908: The brick building was completed. The cost of construction was $500,000 and it contained 105 rooms. Walter Pierce formed a medical staff and brought in Japanese workers to work in the gardens, which enabled Hot Lake to be a self-supporting facility.
1910: The room rates ranged from $2.50 per day to $3.50 per week. Meals started at $0.25. The listed earnings during this year was $178,811.
1911: The barn and blacksmith shop were built. Dr. Phy's wife Edith filed for divorce (Walter Pierce was Dr. Phy's attorney). Dr. Phy leaves Hot Lake after an argument with Walter Pierce.
1917: Dr. W.T. Phy returned and purchased the Hot Lake facilities. Hot Lake gained a reputation as a hospital as well as a resort. During this period the first floor contained offices, lobby, kitchen, dining hall, and parlor. The old lobby was being used for dances and other recreation. The second floor contained guest rooms. The third floor was the hospital, containing patient rooms and a surgery room. The official name became "Hot Lake Sanitarium." Under Dr. Phy, the third floor became known as the "Mayo Clinic of the West."
1924-1932: People flocked to the resort/hospital from all over the world from 1924 to 1932, attracting an average 124 new guests daily. Hot Lake was known for innovated techniques including radiation theraphy and top of the line X-ray equipment.
1931: Dr. Phy died after catching a "chill" from falling into the Columbia River while on a duck hunting trip with the Mayo brothers (they frequented Hot Lake). The business declined rapidly after his death. His son, Dr. Mark Phy, took over Hot Lake.
1932: Union Pacific limited their funding. Clarice and Arnold Kohler ran the store west of the lobby. The first floor was a motel. The second floor was used for guest and employee rooms. The third floor was the hospital.
1933: Dr. Phy's son Mark died suddenly. Mark's ashes were scattered over Hot Lake.
1934: A Sunday fire destroyed the wooden structure of the building. Due to the lack of funding and prevention, the fire department was ill-prepared to deal with the fire. The fire hoses were rotten and broke once water was pumped through them. Two fire trucks had come from La Grande and Union to help fight the fire. Before the fire, the combined buildings included over 200 rooms and dining facilities for over 1,000 guests.
1936: After the fire and the Great Depression, business was never the same. The resort declines as a recreation site. The third floor continued to function as a hospital. Two Adventist doctors from Idaho, Gregory and Haun took over the resort.
1939: During World War II, a pilot's school and nurse's training center was established at Hot Lake.
1940: The use of dairy was discontinued, thus making it impossible to remain a self-supporting facility.
1942: The resort was purchased by Dr. Adolph J. Roth (associate professor at Washington State University).
1943: The railroad completely withdrew and postal services were discontinued.
1951: Highway 30 was built and bypassed the resort. This in turn, caused the overnight customers to diminish. Request was made by local citizens to turn the facility into a nursing home.
1953: Organizations requested Roth to turn facility into a nursing home. Then in late 1953, the home was licenced to give nursing care. Ramps were built for patient access to nursing home.
1968: Youngest Roth son returned home from active duty and became part owner.
1969: The third floor was remodeled.
1970: The name was changed to "Hot Lake Resort Center."
1974: Plans were underway to open a pool. Guest rooms and dining room were to be redecorated with the original furniture bought and the lobby was refinished. Plans were made to open a small medical museum. The hospital had a staff of 6 doctors and 11 graduate nurses. The nursing home had a population of 65 occupants. Services and recreational activities which were offered included: bath houses, hot mineral baths, steam rooms, dressing rooms, massages, cot sweats, pool tables, shuffleboard, and television. Overnight and weekly accomodations were offered on the lower two floors, with a total of 30 rooms.
1975: Stiles and Pattee buy Hot Lake from A.J. Roth. The nursing home closed and a restaurant and country western night club were opened.
1977: The restaurant and country western night club closed due to slow business.
1978: Steve Munson, a promoter/developer of geothermal properties looked into the development of Hot Lake. Shareholders in the late 1970s wanted to demolish the building and sell the bricks for 10 cents each.
1983: Dr. Lyle Griffith, a long time shareholder, bought out the others and started the Hot Lake Company. He had planned building greenhouses and raise English cucumbers and mushrooms. They also had plans to raise game fish in the mineral rich ponds.
1989: With government funding, Dr. Lyle Griffith turnd the southwest corner of the remaining wooden structure into a bath house and massage parlor. With the help of a $100,000 grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Dr. Griffith was successful in the building of an RV park.
1991: Dr. Griffith closed the bath/massage business.
1994: B.B.R. Corporation (a Seattle based company) bought Hot Lake in March. Jim Thompson is part owner. The caretakers were Andy and Janet Derry. The owners intentions at this time included: an aqua culture project which included raising Tilapia, setting up an educational facility to teach people about preventative measure to living a better life, establishing a moblie home park in place of the RV park, establishing nature trails, and a golf course. They planned on tearing the buildings down.
1996: In a sheriff's auction, George Heidgreken, a developer from Centrailia, Washington, purchased Hot Lake and its surrounding acreage.
1998: Heidgerken received approval for a 45 unit housing development on the bluff behind Hot Lake.
2000s
2000: Investor, Lousie Rhea, forclosed on the property, gained full control, and placed it for sale.2003: The Manuel family began the purchase of Hot Lake. The process of land use and restoration began.
2005: The Hot Lake Springs gallery and foundry opened for visitors.
2006: Restoration continues as a fire truck museum and horse drawn vehicle display buildings are added to the property. Plans to move the Manuel Museum collection are in motion.
