Bartlett Springs, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bartlett Springs
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The Bartlett Spring, hotel in background
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 Bartlett Springs
Location in California
Bartlett Springs
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Lake County |
| Elevation | 2,146 ft (654 m) |
Bartlett Springs is a special place in Lake County, California. It's known for its natural springs, which are like natural water fountains coming out of the ground. A long time ago, people built a big resort here where visitors could stay and enjoy the spring water.
In 1914, this resort was the biggest in Lake County. It could host up to 500 guests at one time! The springs provided cool, bubbly water that had a lot of iron in it. There was even a factory that bottled this special water. They could fill 10,000 bottles every day during the warmer months, from May to October, when the roads were good enough to travel on.
Contents
Where is Bartlett Springs Located?
Bartlett Springs is about 11 miles (18 km) north of Clearlake Oaks. It sits high up, at an elevation of 2,146 feet (654 meters).
This area is close to where Bartlett Creek begins. This creek then flows into Cache Creek. The natural springs are mostly found on the slopes, a bit higher up from where the resort was built. The ground around the springs is made of altered sandstone, shale, and serpentine rocks.
Discover the Different Springs
There were several important springs at Bartlett Springs, each with its own unique features.
The Main Spring
The Main Spring, also called Bartlett Spring, is in the northern part of the area. It's at the bottom of a steep hill. Around 1911, it had a cement floor around it. Its water flowed up into a special basin used as a drinking fountain. Pipes carried water from this spring to the hotel and to the bottling factory. The water from this spring is cool, about 56 °F (13 °C), and slightly bubbly. It's also a bit alkaline.
Aperient Spring
The Aperient Spring is on a hillside northeast of the Main Spring. You could reach it by following a winding path about 200 yards (180 m) long. In 1911, it was inside a small springhouse. This spring produced about 2 US gallons (7.6 L; 1.7 imp gal) of moderately bubbly water per minute. It had a good amount of iron in it and was about 61 °F (16 °C). Its water was used for drinking and also piped to a swimming pool.
Soda-Magnesia Spring
The Soda-magnesia Spring is at the bottom of a steep slope, about 100 yards (91 m) southeast of Aperient Spring. It produces about 3 US gallons (11 L; 2.5 imp gal) of cool, moderately bubbly water per minute. This water was sent through pipes to large storage tanks and then to the resort. Like some other springs, it also left behind a lot of iron. This water was alkaline and had more magnesium than the Main Spring.
The Gas Spring
The Gas Spring is about 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) along a trail northeast of the Main Spring. You have to go over a hill to reach it, into the area of the North Fork of Cache Creek. It's a shallow pool, up to 3 feet (0.91 m) wide and 10 feet (3.0 m) long. In the summer, only a small amount of water flows out of the pool. However, the water is always moving because of large bubbles of carbon dioxide gas constantly rising from it.
The Bartlett Springs Resort
The Bartlett Springs were found by Green Bartlett in 1869. He was on a camping trip and was suffering from rheumatism, a condition that causes joint pain. He found that the spring waters helped him feel better. Because of this, he bought the land and started a resort there.
Bartlett's resort was quite large and could host up to 500 guests. A post office even operated at Bartlett Springs from 1873 to 1935. By 1914, it was the biggest resort in Lake County, offering the most places for people to stay. During the main season, from mid-May to October, a doctor lived at the resort to help guests.
Besides the main hotel, there were many cottages and other buildings. These included a general store, a drugstore, a bakery, and a butcher's shop. Sadly, the resort was destroyed in a fire in 2007.
The Bottling Plant
The bottling factory was located below the hotel and the springs. This meant the water flowed down naturally, which helped with the bottling process. Water was taken from the bottom of the spring through a special tin pipe. This pipe was designed to keep the natural gas from escaping the water.
The water first went through a filter to clean it. Then, bottles were filled using a tube that went all the way to the bottom of each bottle. As soon as a bottle was full, it was sealed tightly with a clamped cap. Each bottle was checked to make sure it was filled correctly and clean before being packed for shipping.
A gasoline engine powered the machines at the plant. These machines included a bottle washer, a labeling machine, and a conveyor belt. About 15 men worked at the plant. They could produce 10,000 bottles in a 9-hour workday.
The plant only operated during the summer and fall. This was because the roads were only in good condition then, and there were no places to store the bottles for long periods. Between May and October, about ten teams of mules, each with 8 to 12 mules, would haul the cases of bottled water to the railroad station in Williams.
