Carlsbad Springs Hotel

J. B. Sanders' plans were not readily apparent when he bought a lot and stable on the east side of the Covington-Lexington Turnpike (Main Street) directly across from the buff brick (pained dark brown in 1992) two story First National Bank. In the same year, 1909, he bought the adjoining property to the north, the Dry Ridge Roller Mills lot, with the machinery removed, from Robert and Addie Taylor. he Carlsbad was reincorporated as "The Kentucky Carlsbad Springs Company" in 1913 by F. H. Kinnaird, R. C. Stoll, F. H. Clarke and J. R. Bush, all of Lexington, and J. B. Sanders. In front of the mill property which bordered on the west line of the railroad right-of-way, and fronting on Main Street was the Huffman Blacksmithy, which Sanders also bought, adjoining his store's farm implement and buggy department, and his store one door south of Farmers Bank (now Citizens Bank), where his employees dealt in furniture and undertaking.

Also purchased in 1909 was the plant built by the Dry Ridge Creamery Company fronting on Broadway which includes the deep well which had struck mineral water instead of fresh water. The property had been sold at public auction with Sanders being the highest bidder at $2,284.16. He completed what would be known as the Carlsbad Hotel in 1911. The entire town could see the thriving business possibilities arising from the hotel and mineral waters being developed by Sanders. The town trustees adopted an ordinance in 1911, changing the name to Carlsbad. However, the name change was never approved by the Kentucky Legislature or accepted by the Post Office Department. The ordinance was repealed in 1912. The move did succeed in adding "Carlsbad Springs" to the railroad timetables, showing one stop for both Dry Ridge and Carlsbad Springs.

In April 1912, J. B. Sanders, Nina Sanders and George E. McAtee formed "The Carlsbad Springs Hotel Company", a corporation, to "...operate a hotel, sanitarium, bath houses... and buying and selling real estate, bottling and selling mineral waters, goods, wares and merchandise, conducting a livery, establishing and operating an electric plant, cold storage, and conducting such games of amusement as is permitted by law". The name "Carlsbad Springs was adopted to bask in the favorable light cast by the healthful waters at Carlsbad, Germany. The word, "Springs" is a misnomer where the Dry Ridge mineral water is concerned. There were no springs to go dry, as some writers have claimed in recent years. The water had to be pumped from deep wells, none of which ever went dry. The pumps were stopped when there was no longer a market for the water.

The corporation was initially capitalized at $50,000. Shortly thereafter, the authorized capitalization was increased to $100,000. Sanders deeded the hotel and land on Main Street and the pumphouse and mineral well on Broadway to the corporation in consideration "...of the sum of one dollar cash in hand and other good and valuable considerations...(and) that the corporation will assume, take up and pay off a mortgage to the Farmers Bank of Equity for twelve thousand and five hundred dollars..." Records that the mortgage was paid in full November 1915.

The Carlsbad was reincorporated as "The Kentucky Carlsbad Spring Company" in 1913 by F. H. Kinnaird, R. C. Stoll, F. H. Clarke and Jr. R. Bush, all of Lexington, and J. B. Sanders. In October 1914, the company bought the storehouse (including the Jerry Adkins' Hall on the second floor) on the east side of Main Street between the hotel on the south side and the Farmers Bank on the north side. The mineral water, pumped on Broadway, was piped to the hotel on the east side of Main Street. Hot mineral water baths were given to hotel guests. Fresh water was available from cisterns and shallow wells on the hotel property.

On November 4, 1915, a twelve page deed from the Kentucky Carlsbad Springs Hotel Company to the Lake View Sanitarium and Hotel Company of Lexington was executed. In consideration of $1.00 cash in hand, the sum of $7,000 to be paid on or before March 1, 1916, and the further consideration of the sum of $25,000 to be paid on or before March 1, 1916, and the further consideration of the sum of $25,000 to be paid in five equal annual installments with interest at 6 percent, and with the first installment due in one year, all the real estate owned by the Kentucky Carlsbad Springs Hotel Company was sold to Lake View. The Lake View Sanatorium and Hotel Company was incorporated November 4, 1915 with its principal office in Lexington. Thirteen residents of Georgetown were also investors. Grant County investors included.

The directors were A. G. Payne, President, C. G. Dale, George Payne and J. W. Glover of Lexington, D. P. Ewing of Georgetown, and John S. Steers, Secretary, J. G. Renaker and J. L. Price of Grant County.

Since 1973, the Carlsbad Hotel property has been owned by C. P. Smith. It is not a residential hotel. The mineral water and health spas which dominated the Dry Ridge business community from about 1910 to 1960, are now long gone and not likely to ever esist again.

The History of Grant County
John B. Conrad, Editor
Article by John B. Conrad

Home  ~  Back to Grant County Places