French Lick Springs Hotel, French Lick Indiana, 1909

Abstract

The first hotel was built at French Lick Springs in 1840. The operation was a success because of the popularity of health spas at the time and rail transportation to the site. A fire in 1897 led to the purchase of the property in 1901 by a syndicate led by Thomas Taggart. The hotel was rebuilt and improved with an enlarged front wing faced with buff colored brick. In 1905 Taggart bought out his partners and made more improvements with wings added to the hotel, pavilions that sheltered the springs, a new bath building and convention hall, electricity and a new water system. This view taken in 1909 shows the front facade of the hotel with its veranda and guests milling about and some preparing to ride horses. A passenger train is seen on the right and railroad tracks lead up to the hotel.The original nitrate negative was copied with funds provided by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission in 1990. This digital image was created from that copy. The copy prints and negatives are stored in Microfiche Number order. Interpositives are stored in PAN number order