From the Sparchives: Testing the Waters

These two circa-1930s images from New Mexico’s Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa celebrate the property as being one of the oldest natural health resorts in the U.S. As a “sanatorium,” Ojo first attracted nationwide fame as a place where people were cured each year via the water’s therapeutic benefits (today, travelers continue to flock to the four types of sulfur-free mineral waters found here; 100,000-plus gallons steam to the surface on a daily basis).

In the first historic image, bath attendants don the uniforms of the day when Ojo served as a sanatorium. Doctors were on staff, and people were encouraged to come for a 21-day cure, the resort tells us.

The second image shows a pool that is no longer at Ojo. Glance in the background to see a historic hotel, which was built in 1916. Two other original buildings shown—the historic bathhouse, built in 1868, and the adobe round barn, constructed in 1924—have been restored and are now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.