Distinctly Montana Magazine

44 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3 H O T H O T S O U T H W E S T M O N TA N A ' S S O U T H W E S T M O N TA N A ' S W hen I moved to Montana and started my journalism ca- reer, I met a stunning woman in Lewistown who didn't wait long to share her passion for hot springs with me. I remember that first time seeing her slowly step into the pools of Spa Hot Springs in White Sulphur Springs: a feeling of euphoria swept over her entire body. I could see it just standing beside her, and, once I also entered the water, I understood. The mag- ical mineral water of Montana's hot springs is far more healing than any hot tub. Growing up in the Midwest I'd never experi- enced anything like it. That stunning woman is now my wife, and, for the past 10 years we've been traveling around the state (and beyond), embracing the enchantment of hot springs. It's easy to become addicted to the soul-livening sensations that come with each soak, and it's no surprise there are so many who share the craving, both today and in bygone eras. It was the Native Americans who started this fad, declaring the springs a neutral zone warring tribes would share to recharge. Once more and more immigrants started trav- eling out West—largely to prospect for gold or work in a mine— opportunists like Charles Broadwater, James A. Murray and others found ways to commercialize the springs, making them a spectacle that enhanced the Montana experience for travelers. Clearly they were on to something. My wife and I live in Southwest Montana now, where hot springs are prevalent, each one with its own rich history. Join me for a look back at the magnificent—and, at times, tragic— history of these spellbinding locations. QUINN'S HOT SPRINGS RESORT Set on the banks of the Clark Fork River, Quinn's Hot Springs Resort was founded in the 1880s by Irish immigrant Martin Quinn, a foreman for the Pardee Mountain Mine. According to legend, Quinn witnessed Native Americans basking in the ma- jestic waters. Not long after, he filed a homestead and developed a small hotel and a soaking pool. News spread fast, as the Week- ly Plainsman wrote in 1896 that Quinn's hot springs weren't just relaxing, but healing, effecting "surprising cures in rheumatic and kidney diseases." by CHARLIE DENNISON A step back in time to H O T H O T S O U T H W E S T M O N TA N A ' S S O U T H W E S T M O N TA N A ' S

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