Scovern Hot Springs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scovern Hot Springs |
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| Agua Caliente Neills Hot Springs Hot Springs House |
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Neills Hot Springs Hotel in 1911
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| Location | Hot Springs Valley, Kern County, California |
| Elevation | 2,490 ft |
| Type | geothermal |
| Discharge | 140-to-149 gallons per minute |
| Temperature | 113°F /45°C |
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Scovern Hot Springs
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Former settlement
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 Scovern Hot Springs
Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Kern County |
| Elevation | 2,490 ft (759 m) |
Scovern Hot Springs is a special place in Kern County, California. It's known for its warm, natural spring water. People also called it Agua Caliente, Neills Hot Springs, or Hot Springs House. It's located in the Kern River Valley, which is part of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This area used to be a small town, but now only the springs remain.
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A Look Back: History of Scovern Hot Springs
The warm springs here have been important for a very long time. Native American groups used them for their healing powers. Later, Spanish settlers also came to use the waters.
Native American Life in Hot Springs Valley
The Palagewan people lived along the Kern River's north fork. Other groups like the Foothill Yokuts, Pahkanapil, Kawaiisu, and Tübatulabal also used this area. A Tübatulabal village was right where Scovern Hot Springs is today.
The Tübatulabal people were the first to care for this land. They had a smart way of life, trading with others and moving with the seasons. They grew some crops and raised animals. Their villages had semi-permanent homes with rock foundations.
Europeans Arrive and Gold Rush Changes Everything
When the Spanish first arrived in the late 1700s, they met the Tübatulabal and Kawaiisu people. For a while, there was limited trade between these groups and the Euro-Americans. But things changed a lot after gold was discovered in 1848 at Sutter's Mill. Thousands of miners rushed to California, including many to the Kern River and Lake Isabella valleys.
The Tübatulabal first met Francisco Garcés in 1776. Later, they met John C. Frémont in 1834 and the Walker expedition in 1843. The Scovern Hot Springs are in the South Fork Kern River area. For some time, they were known as Agua Caliente and Neills Hot Springs.
Scovern Hot Springs: A Former Settlement
The California Department of Conservation says that Scovern Hot Springs and other springs along the Kern River were once used as resorts and spas.
The old town of Scovern Hot Springs was built right where the hot springs are. In the 1800s, it was a stop for stage coaches traveling between Old Kernville and the railroad stop at Caliente. The buildings of the settlement burned down in 1971. You could see the ruins until the mid-1990s when they finally collapsed.
The Hot Springs House and Early Resort Days
In 1866, local settlers learned about the hot springs. A hotel and bathhouse called "Hot Springs House" was built there for miners. People believed the warm waters could help with long-term illnesses. The owners even promised quick cures for tough cases! They planned to make it a place where families could stay for weeks. It cost $15 per week for a room, food, and use of the mineral baths. In 1867, the "Ranch House" building was added. For a while, the Kern County Hospital helped run the facility.
In 1902, John Neill bought the "Hot Springs House." It had a hotel, a restaurant, and a mineral spa. In 1915, a swimming pool was added. John's wife, Annie, managed the hotel. His cousin, Robert Little, took care of the bathhouse. The old wooden soaking tubs were replaced with new ones. Chinese cooks from Kernville made food for the guests. These improvements brought many tourists to the hot springs. Some people even rented rooms by the month and enjoyed weekend square dances.
The Neill family also bought 840 acres of land around the springs. They grew alfalfa and raised sheep and cattle. They even had a slaughterhouse on the property.
The Scovern Era and Later Years
In 1929, Louis G. Scovern and his wife Edna bought the property. They renamed it "The Scovern House." They built a new swimming pool and more bathhouses.
By 1938, the hot springs resort was a very popular spot. For a time, it even operated as a dude ranch. In the late 1930s, Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Page managed the ranch. The Sierra Roundup Rodeo was held at Scovern Hot Springs in the 1930s and 40s. The Scoverns' daughter, Pauline, married Johnny E. McNally, a ranch hand, in 1936. McNally later produced the annual Sierra Rodeo Round-up there. In 1941, the Bakersfield Californian newspaper called Scovern Hot Springs a "leading settlement" from Kern's mining days.
Sadly, in March 1971, Scovern Hot Springs burned to the ground. All the resort buildings are now gone. Today, only the natural hot spring remains. Visitors can still see steam rising from the wet fields near the spring.
Hot Springs Water: What's Inside?
The warm water comes from several spring sources. These sources are in rocks and soil within the Kern Canyon geological fault zone.
The water is usually about 113°F (45°C). It flows out of the ground at a rate of 140 to 149 gallons per minute. One main spring, Spring no. 1, is even hotter at 132°F (56°C) and flows at 87 gallons per minute. There are also two other warm wells nearby. Well no. 1 is 116°F (47°C), and well no. 2 is 127°F (53°C). Besides being used for baths, the spring water was also used to water crops.
Where is Scovern Hot Springs?
Scovern Hot Springs is located in the South Fork Kern River area. It's near Isabella and about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north-northeast of Bodfish. It sits at an elevation of 2490 feet (759 meters). Scovern Hot Springs was still shown on maps as late as 1943.
The springs are in the Kern Canyon fault zone. They are part of the 225-acre Hot Springs Valley Wetlands complex. Because so much water flows from the springs, about 300,000 gallons flow through the wetlands every day!
Images for kids
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Horse-drawn mining carriages at Hot Springs House in 1900
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Tübatulabal family in 1916, photo: Thomas T. Waterman, U.C. Berkeley
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Kern River Canyon in 1888
