Excelsior Springs Old Siloam Heals
A Small Town In Missouri Became Known As America's Haven Of Health
The city of Excelsior Springs, Missouri is founded on water, one of the essentials of life. In 1880, a natural spring was discovered amidst several acres of rocky, dry land. The spring was named "Old Siloam". The thought of water in this vast, arid ground was unheard of, but there it was. And within the next year, several other springs named Regent, Relief, Superior, and Saratoga were discovered.
The New Water Discovery
A local man named Anthony W. Wyman, who owned the land, partnered with the Reverend J.V.B. Flack and had the water on the land tested. Little did he know what a gold mine he was getting. Analysis of the water showed it to be laden with rich minerals and the perceived ability to provide healing powers. In two of the springs was a rare combination of iron and manganese waters. The only springs with this combination in the United States are in Excelsior Springs. Altogether, there are four 'healing combinations' of waters found in the springs:Saline-Sulpher, Soda-Bicarbonate, Iron-Manganese, and Calcic-Bicarbonate (also called Lithia).
The Water's Healing Powers Displayed
A farmer named Travis Mellion was first to discover the waters of Old Siloam had healing powers. His daughter, who suffered from tuberculosis, drank the water and bathed in it and was miraculously healed.
Word spread about people being healed from illnesses such as tuberculosis, rheumatism, and wounds. Soon people came in droves and settled near the springs to get relief by drinking and bathing in the "healing waters". Thus the city of Excelsior Springs became known as America's Haven of Health. The waters were said to have relieved muscle tension, eased the pain of arthritis and help to rid the body of toxins through the skin.
The Plan To Preserve The Waters
Eventually the idea came up about how to harness the healing springs and preserve them for the health-seeking public for a long time. The Public Works Administration (PWA) came up with a solution and some financial assistance. They would finance a structure to be built over the Old Siloam spring, It is called the Hall Of Waters. The money included the building of the hall, and buying and bottling the water for human use. This would become the central locality for the mineral water springs and is right in the center of town today.
The Hall Of Waters
The Hall Of Waters, a striking structure, was built in 1937. Walking through the front door, one is immediately surrounded by the Art Deco style modeled after the ancient Mayan Indians. The beautiful blue, green, yellow and red hues seem to blend into one. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it is a chain of figures holding hands.
The most important attraction of the first floor is the longest water bar anyone has ever seen. Over the years, thousands of people sat at this water bar and enjoyed the health giving waters.
Downstairs is a large swimming pool where Esther Williams reportedly took and dip and into which Tarzan flew from an upper balcony presumably during filming one of his many movies. The pool, filled with water from the springs, is so vast that a crowd of about 500 could easily mingle around the area at one time. A special smaller pool with a wheelchair accessibility ramp was available for those afflicted with polio or arthritis. There the bathers were aided by hydrotherapy trained attendants. Rumor is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt bathed there.
Stepping into the mineral bath area takes you back to the excitement of the great spa era 70 years ago. Each partition still houses the original porcelain white bath tubs set up on their metal feet. The warmth and faint scent of dampness still permeates the room and the chipping egg shell white paint is a reminder of the neglect that has come to such a spectacular structure.
The wall of smooth yellow-tan tile about 8-10 inches thick surrounds each tub space to allow for privacy while a window lets in the air and light. The tile wall, about three feet high, did not have a door, so the bathers still had to practice some modesty. Depending on the prescribing treatment from the physician, each tub was filled with a different type of water from the springs. The bathers would soak in the tubs and take advantage of the rest. Sometimes cures had to be done over several treatments. Afterward was the steam bath, messages and salt rubs. Of course all of this was performed by a licensed hydrotherapist.
The Future Of The Hall Of Waters
The city of Excelsior Springs Planning and Zoning Department are in the process of raising funds to renovate the hall, get the pool up and running again, open the water bar and open the spa area. This will take time and money but is a project that is in the works.
The Hall Of Waters no longer draws health conscience spa buffs, but to visit would be to take a step back in time and get a glimpse into the past, and with these planned renovations, a hope for a future as glamorous as almost a century ago.
In 1981, the Hall Of Waters was put on the Clay County Historical Landmark Register and in 1983, was listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Sources: The City of Excelsior Springs, "Rejuvenation and Renewal-The History of Excelsior Springs" 2006. Used with permission from Firefly Marketing and the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives (www.exsmo.com/museum).
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