A Quick History
There’s something magical about Bonneville’s history. At Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa, we’ve adorned our walls with our past. When you’re here, we can show you some of our favorite photographs and walk you through the history that still stands today.
Let’s start with the Native Americans
The healing waters at Bonneville Hot Springs have been utilized by Native American tribes such as the Rogue River, Chitcoe, Calapoi, Kalamath, and Makah for hundreds of years. They would travel to this very spot to bathe and drink the healing waters. It wasn’t until the late 1880s that an old miner would find the spring and share it with one of his closest friends who in turn would share it with the world.
That old miner went by the name of Mr. R.J. Snow. After sharing his finding with a Mr. Thomas Moffett, the fate of this land was sealed. Mr. Moffett named the springs after himself and quickly built a lodge on the property in 1881.
Mr. Moffett and his predecessors marketed the lodge and the spring by bottling the water and selling it to inhabitants of the nearby cities. In 1934, the name Bonneville Hot Springs was officially adopted and a new hotel, dining room and mineral bath were added. In addition, 12 cabins were built, a swimming pool was finished, and 75 campsites were erected throughout the area.
By the 1970s, much of the Bonneville Hot Springs infrastructure was in disrepair or closed completely. For several decades, the waters poured forth quietly without much human interaction. That all changed in 1991 when Mr. Peter Cam purchased the property and opened Bonneville Hot Sprigs Resort & Spa. Over a period of 10 years, Mr. Cam took his vision for the resort and made it a reality, once again, the healing waters are available to thousands of rejuvenation seekers around the world.