Medical Springs, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Medical Springs, Oregon
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Medical Springs mineral pool, ca. 1912
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Union |
| Established | December 4, 1868 |
| Elevation | 3,396 ft (1,035 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP codes |
97814
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Medical Springs is a small, rural community in Union County, Oregon, United States. It is located near the southern edge of Union County, on Oregon Route 203. The community is just outside the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It sits about twenty miles southeast of Union and twenty-four miles northeast of Baker City.
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History of Medical Springs
Medical Springs was first settled in the 1800s by Dunham and Artemisia Wright. They claimed about 280 acres of land. Dunham Wright was a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln. He was also an early politician in Oregon. He officially established the area on December 4, 1868. This happened after natural hot springs were discovered there.
Dunham Wright described seeing the springs for the first time. Native Americans were camped there. He said, "The springs were located in a big willow grove. The men would build a number of small dams across the streams that ran from the springs. The water would accumulate to the depth of about twenty inches. Sticks were placed around the edge, and then a big elk hide or blanket would be stretched across the top to keep the steam in." This shows how people used the warm water.
Developing a Resort Town
In 1869, Wright built a small cabin and a bathhouse. He wanted to create a resort town around the warm springs. By 1886, a large two-story hotel was built. It had forty guest rooms, two parlors, and a ballroom.
In 1905, a sanitarium (a type of health retreat), a general store, and a post office were added. The town became popular with people from nearby Union and La Grande. Unlike the fancy Hot Lake Resort nearby, Medical Springs attracted miners, gamblers, and cowboys. In 1917, the hotel burned down in a fire. A smaller, six-room hotel was built in its place the next year, in 1918.
The Famous Swimming Pool
The biggest attraction in Medical Springs was its large Olympic-size swimming pool. It was built in 1929. The pool was nine feet deep at its deepest end. It was filled directly from the hot springs. People believed the mineral waters from the springs were good for health.
The springs' water comes out of the ground at 140°F. It is then piped to the pool, where it cools down to 104 °F.
Decline and Present Day
Dunham Wright lived at the resort until he passed away in 1942. He died shortly after his hundredth birthday. The swimming pool and hotel eventually closed in the 1950s. This happened after the mill in the nearby town of Pondosa burned down. The mill's closure meant less money and fewer people in the area. This caused the population to drop.
As of 2022, only a few buildings remain. These include the hotel, a private home, and the old general store, which is now abandoned. The famous swimming pool is no longer open to the public.
