Image by bradleygee via FlickrOriginally called Mni Kahta (warm water) by the Lakota who used the spring-fed waters here as a healing tool, the town of Hot Springs, South Dakota became famous by sharing its mineral waters with the world.Hot Springs, founded in 1879, was widely promoted as a resort destination beginning in the 1890s. With the building of an enormous mineral pool at Evan's Plunge and a railroad line through the center of town, Hot Springs was on its way to prosperity.
The health spa business was booming, and a building boom came soon after. Beautiful sandstone buildings quarried from local rock began springing up all over town and Hot Springs came into full flower.
By the mid-20th century, the health spa business was a bust. That didn't effect Hot Springs, however, as it was still booming as the city nearest the Black Hills Army Depot and Igloo, South Dakota and the mining operations in nearby Edgemont, South Dakota.
After the Army Depot shut down and the mining operations ceased, Hot Springs came to a standstill. Today, there are only about 4,000 people left in the once-thriving city. Many of the beautiful and historic sandstone buildings in town fell into disrepair.
Today, with the rebirth of interest in the health spa industry, many of these buildings have been restored to their original glory, and some are even being used in the same way they were used over a hundred years ago.
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