SARATOGA SPRINGS — Years ago, according to local lore, native Indians in Utah County were attracted to the plumes of steam rising from the sulphur springs in the northwest corner of Utah Lake.
Trappers stopped by for warm dips. Soldiers in Johnston's Army and early settlers used the naturally therapeutic water to soothe tired muscles and heal bothersome maladies.
In Richard Van Wagoner's "Lehi, Portraits of a Utah Town," the history is spelled out.
"The water is as clear as crystal and impregnated with alkali and some other minerals, the mud off the bottom smells like gas tar, there is one hole where the water boils up that is said to have been sounded to the depth of a hundred feet without finding bottom," wrote one of the soldiers.
"Sulphur Springs" or "Snow's Spring" was a recreational success long before anyone thought to develop it into one.
And though battles were waged over the years to protect it from becoming a chicken farm, a sewage lagoon and a prison, Saratoga Springs survived until, ironically, too much water did it in. John Conrad Naile, a member of the Mormon Battalion, settled in the Cold Springs area and bought the land in 1860, including the springs, for $3,000 in gold, which he had panned in California. He planted a three-acre apple orchard, grazed cattle, and raised flax.
In 1884, he leased the land to John Beck, then Lehi's wealthiest resident. Beck envisioned a spa under the apple trees and began to develop it into a resort.
He bought the springs and more than 1,000 acres of adjacent land and named the area Beck's Saratoga Springs. One thousand people attended the formal grand opening. Two large plunge baths and six hot tub baths for 25 cents were offered, along with rowboats, sailboats, baseball grounds, shooting galleries and a race track.
The rules were strict:
No improper character or intoxicated person admitted.
No profane or obscene language or boisterous conduct allowed.
Splashing or diving in the vicinity of ladies is forbidden.
Smoking or eating in dressing rooms or in or about the pools is prohibited.
No dressing room can be occupied for a longer time than three-quarters of an hour on Saturdays and Sundays.
Soap is not allowed to be used in the plunges.
Beck added a warning in bold letters, "If you cannot obey our rules, we do not want your money!"
Because the springs were purported to have "wonderful medicinal properties . . . for rheumatism and disease of the skin," many stayed for days and weeks at a time.
Professor A. Siebert of Germany bottled a medicinal preparation called "Saratoga Salvation" that was sold in the local drugstores, and by 1890 the resort was well established. A dancing floor and picnic tables were added in 1894.
In 1895, a large plunge and bathhouses were built on the lower springs so bathers could also swim and boat in the Utah Lake.
In 1897, a chicken ranch was built practically next door and a couple of attempts were made to transform Saratoga Resort into a major poultry farm while summer visitors continued to flock to the resort.
Beck sold the resort to the Utah Sugar Co. in May 1900. The new owners envisioned frontage lots with suburban homes in the "Lake Front" development with 10 summer bungalows as the nucleus. They extended the boat pier, added a first-class cafe and brought in bands for community dances.
Two years later, the plans were abandoned but the resort thrived.
Saratoga Resort was the site of many festivities of the 19th century, including camping, picnicking and boating. It also was the scene of solemn baptisms. Then America went to war and, according to Van Wagoner, "The simple delights of ice cream parties, lemonade afternoons, and hayride excursions to Saratoga were forever changed."
From 1918 to 1923, Abe Gudmundsen leased the land and had to repeatedly fight off reports of poor sanitation at the springs.
In 1922, another unsuccessful attempt was made to raise chickens on the property, using the warm water from the springs to heat the pens.
Finally, Frank H. Eastmond, operator of the Geneva Resort on the east side of the lake, purchased an interest and took over management. He remodeled, adding a new lighted entrance and parking area. He tore down the boarding house, sodded the baseball diamond and painted the dance pavilion. Two hot-water wells were driven and a filtering system added to the pool.
His new signs read: "Swim in drinking water: Gents 25 cents, ladies 10 cents."
Then, in 1938, the state proposed putting a prison on 700 acres at Saratoga. Residents opposed the plan and the site selection committee chose the Point of the Mountain instead.
Three sons then joined Eastmond and added a new water system and regulated pool temperature. By 1950, there was new landscaping, a new entrance, sun decks, and diving boards. Management went to Mick Eastmond in 1962 and he added 35 amusement rides and a children's wading pool.
In 1968, fire destroyed the main building housing the indoor pool, the dressing rooms and the office, as well as the historic arcade. Eastmond opened for business on Easter Sunday but never replaced the damaged buildings.
Around 1977, a plan was proposed to construct a $6 million aerated sewage lagoon system on 1,800 acres of land northwest of Saratoga Resort, but Lehi residents objected to becoming the "sewer city" of the county and again forced a change in plans.
Eastmond put in the Kamikaze water slide and boosted his business. He turned the indoor pool into a giant Jacuzzi hot tub.
A riot rocked the resort in 1980 when a rock group canceled its appearance because of a power outage and the crowd went on a rampage. More than 100 police officers were required to regain control.
In the 1980s high water started to swallow the shoreline and the rumors that Saratoga was underwater kept visitors away.
By then, Eastmond had given up on the resort and eventually sold the land to Mike Dortsch, developer of the Saratoga Springs residential community. The resort is now privately run and open only to members of the Saratoga community.
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com