30 Years Ago: West Baden Springs Hotel Arch Lighting

Recently on the French Lick Resort X/Twitter account, they posted some photos from the ice cream social/arch lighting ceremony at the West Baden Springs Hotel, which occurred thirty years ago on July 12, 1996. Yours truly was there. Above is a photo of the Hotel’s arch after its 1902 installation. The name “Carlsbad of America” was in reference to the hotel’s mineral waters which had guests flocking by train to experience their magical healing powers. The water that bubbled from those sulfur springs smelled like rotten eggs, but no less…the guests came. Below is how the arch looked in 2005, after Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (HLFI, now simply Indiana Landmarks) and Cook, Incorporated began restoring the hotel. The little sprite in the center disk was named Sprudel, and he acted as the hotel’s mascot. The bottled mineral water that was sold here and sold all over was called Sprudel water. Yes…it was nasty.



Below is how the arch looked in 1995, when I first stumbled upon this incredible property. The Sprudel logo was gone from the center disk and as you can see, the entrance was in dire need of a makeover.



In 1996, Cook and HLFI joined forces to restore the West Baden Springs Hotel back to its former glory. While the Hotel itself was in much worse shape, it was decided to focus efforts on the entrance arch, to let the world know that this architectural wonder was coming back to life.



The building at the right of the arch is the original Hotel’s bank:



It had been decades since the electric lights had worked on the arch, so to honor the occasion, the Cooks held an ice cream social to commemorate the occasion. The townspeople flocked to it, and not just for the ice cream.



For years, the Hotel had served as the economic and social hub of the area. It had transitioned into a Jesuit college in 1934, and then was retitled Northwood Institute from 1968-1983, serving as a private coed college. After that, a number of failed attempts to convert the property back into a thriving hotel failed, so until HLFI and Cook took over in 1996, the place had literally crumbled into ruins.



The arch had been cleaned, rewired, and given a fresh coat of paint for the ceremony. Sprudel was not returned yet. He was still being worked on.



Below right is Jeff Lane, a local from nearby French Lick who was one of the main volunteers during the restoration efforts. He is still in the area, and pretty much serves as the Hotel’s most knowledgable historian.



As the sun began to set, the crowds increased. To say that the community was excited about the return of the Hotel would be a gross understatement.



Although I was a volunteer (giving tours of the property EVERY weekend), I wore my street clothes for the event. Sean and Christy were two of my closest friends at the time; each weekend we met at the hotel before the tour program started, we would run amok on the property, checking out the progress of the construction crews from the previous week. The cute gal in yellow was Esther, a local, who recalled the Hotel when it was open and had many wonderful memories of it. Getting to meet people like Esther made the volunteering a sheer joy, listening to these aged residents recall a different and grander time when this Hotel gave the little town of West Baden so much vitality.



Steve Ferguson, who worked for Cook Group, was heavily involved in the restoration process. Before the arch was lit, he gave a little speech. Sorry, but the flash on my little film camera at the time could only do so much!



And then the magical moment when the power was turned on and the arches looked magical once more.



My friend Pam from Bloomington accompanied me to this festive event.



Norma Brock was a French Lick local; her father ran the Elite Club, a nearby Casino. She was also full of great stories about the gambling establishments that once dotted the area as well as the West Baden Springs Hotel itself. She was a feisty character and I adored her. She used to love to say that the bugs loved her silver hair!



A few more images of the arches:



Sure beats another set of golden arches you might be familiar with.



The last time I visited the Hotel was in 2012; it still looked magnificent.



I had the distinction of volunteering more hours than any of the other tour guides. It was a gift of service that replenished me and brought me a wealth of treasured memories. Here I am in action on New Year’s Day, 1998. I was a bit hungover, so the Ray-Bans were a necessity.



I designed a few photo sheets, to give my groups an idea of what the place once looked like. That’s right - only with D-Tours!



As a thank you for my volunteer efforts as a tour guide, I was given this commemorative brick, which was once part of the property. 



See more West Baden Springs Hotel photos at my main website.

Go East Old Man, Pt. 2

My trip to the east coast was timed for Mother’s Day; Mom and I had brunch in the dining room of her community. Below is my official Mother’s Day portrait:



We watched two movies during my visit; one was “Mother” (1996), which I am CONVINCED Debbie Reynolds based her portrayal on my mom…



and “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006). Mom stayed awake during the entire movie. That is the hallmark of a good film! Hopefully when I return this fall we can watch the sequel together.



When the family migrated from California to Pennsylvania, we visited nearby Valley Forge State Park, as seen in the December 1966 photos below:



Exploring the rolling hills, the log cabins, and the other Revolutionary War structures filled me with wonder and helped develop my interest in history.



On this visit when I got a little stir crazy, I suggested we return to Valley Forge. The cabins are still there:



Washington’s soldiers were NOT glamping during that cold winter of 1777-1778!



A selfie outside of Washington’s headquarters:



There have been some modifications to this building over the years in an attempt to bring it back to the period when Washington lived here. Circa 1961:



…and May 2026:






The nearby train station:



Inside you can find some of the artifacts that were recovered from the area:



I hadn’t photographed the nearby Washingto Memorial Chapel in fifteen years…yikes!



I love the Gothic Revival architecture of this structure:






This 1914 bronze sculpture in the Cloisters of the Colonies garden area known as “Sacrifice and Devotion” is by American artist Bela Lyon Pratt, as a dedication to the mothers who lost sons in the war.



The chapel interior is breathtaking:



The dogwoods were in full bloom at the nearby cemetery:



Always red, white, and blue here:



A statue of General Baron von Steuben overlooks the Grand Parade Trail, where my brothers and I used to sled on snow covered hills in our youth:



To have this Park so close to us was a true blessing, at a time when kids explored the land, not their phones.

See more Valley Forge photos at my main website.

Trip to OC, Pt. 2

Another day at the Stanley Ranch Museum! Our tour included two vintage homes that had been moved to the Ranch. The first was the Schnitger home, a Craftsman-style home from 1916. The photo below shows the home in its original setting before it was relocated.



In this home, the furnishings were not necessarily original to this home, but were authentic to the home period and appropriately assembled. We were told that the piano had belonged to a local theatre before it was donated to the ranch.



This kiddos of today would have a hard time believing that the main source of entertainment back then would be a radio. No visuals, no scrolling…you just sat and listened. What a concept.



The dining room:



On the table was a display of dishes and info about the Greenbrier Inn, a sanitarium from 1941 which mainly catered to Hollywood celebrities who needed to “dry out” without being under public scrutiny.



 Allegedly, Judy Garland was a patron. It was replaced by a mixed-use complex in the 1980s. Shocking! Vintage postcard views and a matchbook are provided below:



The kitchen - I covet that range!



The last stop on the tour was the Ware-Stanley House, built in 1893 or 1897, depending on whether you choose to believe the historic plaque or an article on socallandmarks.com.



Part of a 40 acre ranch, our guide told us that many of the items inside were original to the home. I loved the details; you just don’t find craftsmanship like this today. Does that make me old for saying that? Probably.





The contraption at right in the living room is not a radio, but an early record player which used cylinders.



How about that wacky tile on the fireplace?



The kitchen was a little low-tech for me. I preferred the one at the Schnitger home.



The bedroom for the kiddies. Sorry, no wifi.



At the back of the house is Garden Grove’s “last outhouse.” No, we didn’t get to go inside.



This beautiful pink rose was at the gate as we exited.



By the time the tour was over, the Going To Guides market was in full swing. If you aren’t aware of Shannon and Going To Guides, you might want to reconsider calling yourself a fan of Disney.



She writes and designs THE most creative and informative guides for Disneyland, DCA, and WDW, sprinkled with photos from yours truly. Get your own copy at Shannon’s website.



Her Etsy shop has many cool items, but my fave are the fandanas. If you think you want a particular one, buy it. Don’t wait. They sell quickly.



Janey (aka Atomic Redhead), legendary pop culture and Disney blogger was there, too. What a great surprise!



Through Janey, I met another creative force, Melissa (aka Amuseboosh), another legend in the Disney community. They pretty much talked me into going to the Anaheim Halloween Parade. I checked with Willis and it looks like he wants to go to.



Thanks to Shannon for putting all of this together! The final installment of this Orange County series will be posted tomorrow. With Disneyland around the corner, did I end my nine-year absence from the Park? You’ll have to return to find out.

See more Stanley Ranch photos at my main website.