Page 118 - Demo

Vintage Postcards of Indiana Health FacilitiesThe history of the French Lick Resort and Spa dates back to 1845, when Dr. William Bowles built a 3-story, wood-framed hotel and began promoting the healthfulness of the local mineral springs. His original building burned in 1897, and Bowles soon replaced it. However, it wasn%u2019t until the outgoing mayor of Indianapolis, Tom Taggart, bought the property in 1901, that the resort grew substantially. He was responsible for rebuilding and expanding the hotel, working with the Monon Railroad to lay a special spur near the front entrance, and expanding access to the springs. Taggert also built a bottling plant for the area%u2019s Pluto Water. In the first half of the 20th century, it was a best selling laxative. The smelly sulfurous water was distributed locally, nationally, and internationally%u2014 and was served to guests in the hotel%u2019s Pluto Bar. The water%u2019s mascot was a red devil, and its slogan was %u201cif Nature Won%u2019t, Pluto Will,%u201d which humorously promoted its effectiveness as a laxative. The sale of bottled Pluto Water came to an end in 1971 due to its lithium content%u2014a controlled substance. The resort has offered mud baths over the years, as well as a treatment for obesity using a combination of bathing in, and the drinking of, Pluto Water, plus exercise. Other available activities included horseback riding, tennis, swimming, bowling, golf, and billiards. Plus, it boasted a gym, fine dining, and dancing to music by the hotel%u2019s own orchestra. For some time, the resort was the center of illegal gambling. This led Indiana governor Henry Frederick Schricker to crack down and authorize a raid by the Indiana State Police in 1949. Then in 2006, gambling at the resort became legal. The resort has had a number of owners over the years, most prominently Sheraton Hotels, who ran the hotel between 1955 and 1979. Today it is owned and was completely restored by Bloomington%u2019s Cook family. Notable guests during its long existence have included Franklin D. Roosevelt, Al Capone, Joe Louis, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Howard Hughes, and presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.French Lick Springs Resort and Spa%u2014%u2014French Lick, Indiana%u2014%u2014Established 1845For over 170 years French Lick has had a hotel. For much of that history, it has promotedits mineral water, but in the 21st century, gaming has been a major focus.Sanitariums and Spas