Rediscovering Hot Wells Resort: A Forgotten Gem of San Antonio’s Past

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hot Wells site along the San Antonio River housed various iterations of a health spa and resort. These establishments utilized sulfurous water from a hot Edwards well, channeling it into therapeutic swimming pools and baths. However, the site’s history was plagued by destructive fires. The initial structure succumbed to flames in 1894, merely a year after its opening. The most renowned version of the spa, a lavish Victorian-style building constructed in 1900, gained international fame as a luxurious vacation destination for celebrities, world leaders, and wealthy industrialists. Esteemed guests included Will Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Teddy Roosevelt, Porfirio Diaz, Tom Mix, Douglas Fairbanks, and Cecil B. De Mille (Fox and Highley, 1985).

Tragedy struck in 1925 when the legendary hotel burned down, followed by two separate fires in the bath house in 1988 and 1997. Despite these setbacks, the remnants of the bath house have endured, raising hopes for the site’s revitalization over the decades. In 2018, plans began to transform the remaining structures into the centerpiece of a new county park.

An intriguing postcard from around 1910 showcases the hotel and bath house after an expansion, exaggerating the building’s height with three stories instead of the actual two. Notably, the bath house is depicted as the octagonal structure in the lower right corner.

In 1892, the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum (later known as the San Antonio State Hospital) drilled a well near the San Antonio River to supply water for their new facility. Unbeknownst to them, the site was situated near the saline/fresh water interface of the Edwards Aquifer, where hot, sulfurous wells were common. Instead of the expected potable Edwards water, the well produced 104-degree water with a strong sulfur odor, rendering it unsuitable for domestic use at the Asylum. However, due to the widespread belief in the therapeutic properties of hot waters, the abundant flow of the well’s medicinal water presented significant potential.

To offset the costs of securing an alternative water supply, the Asylum leased the well waters to Charles Scheuermeyer for $75. He established a resort in the vicinity and promoted the healing benefits of the water. Scheuermeyer had the water analyzed by the State University in Austin, which confirmed its alleged curative properties against various ailments such as rheumatism, skin diseases, and blood poisoning.

In 1893, McClellan Shacklett won a bid of $500 per year to lease the sulphur water after a special act of the Legislature enabled the Asylum to lease it for ten years. Shacklett, inspired by a resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, designed plans for a first-class bathhouse and a large sanitarium on a 10-acre pecan grove. He transformed the area into a landscaped park with an elegant carriage drive leading to the main building. By the summer of 1894, Shacklett’s Natural Hot Sulphur Wells attracted large crowds, and electric streetcars ferried visitors to the site every 20 minutes.

Advertisements in the San Antonio Daily Express touted the waters as a remedy for various conditions, ranging from syphilitic and mercurial diseases to rheumatism, digestive issues, and skin diseases. The resort thrived, offering entertainment such as a menagerie of exotic animals, including Mexican lions and a bear donated by Judge Roy Bean.

Tragedy struck on December 23, 1894, when a fire consumed the bathhouse within an hour, destroying the $17,000 structure. Undeterred, Shacklett pledged to rebuild a bigger and better facility.

Around a year later, investors from the North secured a 25-year lease from the asylum, effectively pushing Shacklett out of the Hot Wells site. In January 1900, the Texas Hot Sulphur Water Sanitarium Company purchased two land tracts, with Otto Koehler serving as the company’s president. Koehler would later lead the San Antonio Brewing Association (later known as Pearl Brewery) and become one of the wealthiest individuals in the southern part of the U.S. However, he was tragically murdered in 1914.

By September 1900, the new natatorium at Hot Wells was open to the public, offering separate swimming pools for “ladies,” “gents,” and families. Each pool measured 64′ x 90′. The Texas Hot Sulphur Water Sanitarium Company developed twenty-two acres of land opposite the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum, and in 1901, Koehler’s company purchased an additional tract. The press began referring to the Hot Sulphur Baths in San Antonio as the “famous” resort, attracting health seekers and tourists, and boasting remarkable cures for various ailments. It was predicted that the Hot Sulphur Baths would soon become the most renowned resort in North America.

According to a souvenir publication from 1902, the three-story Hot Wells Hotel offered 80 rooms with modern conveniences such as first-class furnishings, individual telephones, steam heat, electric and gas lights, and hot and cold water. The octagonal bathhouse featured 45 private bathrooms with porcelain tubs, marble partitions, and tile floors. Guests could enjoy Roman, Russian, or Turkish baths, as well as steam, needle, and shower baths. The water temperature was 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but it could be adjusted individually. The three public pools, each measuring 64 feet by 90 feet, were lined with white enameled brick. The Hot Wells spa was renowned for its superior water quality compared to other popular spas in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Carlsbad, Germany. However, individuals with lung problems were advised against bathing due to the belief that the warm water could cause suffocation. Syphilis sufferers were provided private bathing facilities. The resort offered various activities such as swimming parties, domino parties, concerts, lectures, and bowling at the Hot Wells Bowling Club.

By 1906, F.M. Swearington held a five-year lease on the Hot Wells Hotel property and reported that the hotel had to turn away approximately two thousand guests seeking rooms and spa services due to limited availability. In late 1907, the Hot Wells Company began constructing an L-shaped addition with ninety rooms, increasing the total to 190 rooms. This expansion established the Hot Wells Hotel as one of the largest hotels in southwest Texas. The improvements also included a new dining room and a palm garden. Railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman, president of the Southern Pacific Railroad, planned to recuperate at the Hot Wells resort in February 1909. He extended the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway tracks onto the Hot Wells property and had telegraph and telephone lines installed in his private railway car. Harriman also set up wood-floored tents near the river for himself and his entourage. Despite his time at the resort, Harriman passed away in September 1909. Other guests at Hot Wells engaged in boating, bowling, croquet, equestrian activities, swimming, tennis, and visiting the Mission San José ruins through a suspended swinging bridge across the San Antonio River.

In 1910, the Star Film Company established the Star Film Ranch near Hot Wells, where they shot approximately sixty silent movies until 1911 when operations shifted to California. Gaston Melies, the company manager and husband of actress Sarah Bernhardt’s cousin, set up a film studio across the river. Other film companies also used the vicinity of Hot Wells to film early westerns. Notable individuals such as Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin, Porfirio Diaz, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Hoot Gibson, Mrs. J.P. Morgan, Tom Mix, Theodore Roosevelt, Will Rogers, and Rudolph Valentino were said to have stayed at the Hot Wells Hotel during its peak.

During World War I and Prohibition, the popularity of Hot Wells declined. In September 1923, the property was purchased by Christian Scientists, and the hotel was converted into the El Dorado School. However, the hotel building burned down in January 1925, lasting less than an hour. The Bath House was saved from the fire by the efforts of the Fire Department.

In December 1927, the Hot Wells Tourist Park Company was established with the aim of converting the property into a camping and park space with tourist cottages and a hotel. The property changed hands over the years, becoming a motel and trailer park owned by Cleo S. Jones and his wife. The property gradually deteriorated, experiencing fires in 1988 and 1997.

In 1985, an archaeological study was conducted on the Hot Wells site to map the foundations of the burned hotel and determine its construction history. The study emphasized the importance of consulting with the State Historic Preservation Officer for any future development plans.

While South San Antonio experienced various cultural, commercial, and natural initiatives over the following decades, the Hot Wells site continued to deteriorate. Projects such as the Mission Trails way-finding efforts and the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Improvements project connected the area to downtown and the Spanish Colonial Missions further south. The arrival of the Toyota manufacturing plant, the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, and commercial development around Brooks City Base showcased the growth of nature-based tourism and industry near the Hot Wells site. Despite these positive developments, Hot Wells fell into further disrepair, with additional fires in 1988 and 1997, leaving the property in ruins.