By Connie Swaim
Circa
In January, I stopped at an antique mall and contemplated a stuffed German shepherd with rubber face. He was in decent condition, but at $30 I just felt he was too expensive to add to my German shepherd collection. This month I found myself back in the area and stopped by that antique mall again. I had forgotten about that dog until I saw him again. This time he was not up on a shelf; but sitting forlornly under a table. His rubber snout was sadly drooping down. What could I do; he gave me “sad puppy face” even if he wasn’t real. On that day $30 didn’t seem so bad; so he came home with me. I was on my way to French Lick, Ind., when I stopped at this mall. French Lick and next door neighbor West Baden are amazing towns for the person who loves antiques and history. They are located in southern Indiana and nestled near the Hoosier National Forest with its winding roads and breathtaking scenery. People have been traveling to this out-of-the-way corner of Indiana since at least the 1840s; drawn by the mineral springs that were bubbling out of the ground. Enterprising men and women set about erecting hotels and began touting the curative powers of both Pluto Water (French Lick) and Sprudel Water (West Baden). By 1900 elaborate hotels were in place and the waters were being bottled and shipped across the country by railcar. The waters were supposed to be good for both bathing and for curing anything that ailed you. The rich and famous would travel by rail to take the waters and it is said even Al Capone paid a visit. Gambling was popular (although illegal at times) at both resorts. In 1888 the West Baden Springs Hotel had become a sophisticated resort with an opera house, golf course, ball field and double-decker pony and bicycle track. A fire ravaged the hotel in 1901; but the owner spent $414,000 and transformed the hotel so it modeled the grandest spas of Europe complete with the world’s largest free-span dome that stretched 200 feet. French Lick was equally famous and at one time was owned by Tom Tagger, Indianapolis Mayor and Democratic National Chairman. The French Lick Springs Hotel became the unofficial headquarters for the Democratic National Party. Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited the hotel in 1931. Sadly, the stock market crash took a toll on these luxurious resorts. While French Lick managed to remain in business; West Baden did not survive the economic downturn and it was sold; first becoming the home of the Society of Jesus for 30 years and then for 13 years the building, once called the Eighth Wonder of the World, was unoccupied. A six-story section of West Baden Springs Hotel collapsed in 1991. Things looked bad until Indiana Landmarks partnered with philanthropists Bill and Gayle Cook. The Cooks made a multi-million dollar pledge to help stabilize West Baden and begin renovation. They also invested in French Lick Resort. The refurbished French Lick Springs Hotel with a new casino opened in 2006. After that West Baden was tackled. It reopened in 2011. I toured West Baden sometime around 2006 during its reconstruction phase and I remember marveling that anyone could take something that run down and restore it. Sitting in West Baden’s atrium today is truly an amazing experience. For the history lover; both West Baden and French Lick have numerous displays of all of the memorabilia that was produced over the years to tout both the resorts and the mineral waters. Most amazing of all is the Rookwood tile fireplace surround that somehow managed to survive for 100 years at West Baden. How it managed to remain intact when the hotel collapsed in decay around it is amazing. You can also walk into a barbershop that managed to survive and which has been left looking as if gentleman will be back at any second to have their shoes polished. For anyone looking to combine history and relaxation, these two hotels are the perfect spot.
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