Carlsbad Hotel

Compiled by Sandra Burbridge
Source:
History of Grant County, by John Conrad
Published by the Grant County Historical Society

J. B. Sanders' plans were not readily apparent when he bought a lot and stable on the east side of the Covington Lexington Turnpike directly across from the buff brick two story First National Bank in 1909.

 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 Post Office Dept.  The ordinance was repealed in 1912. The move did succeed in adding Carlsbad Springs to the railroad timetable showing one stop for 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 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 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 mineral water pumped on Braodway, was piped to the hotel on the east side of Main street.  Hot mineral water baths were given to guests.  Fresh water was available from cisterns and shallow wells on the hotel property.  All of the water added up to a gigantic sewage problem for the hotel whose septic tanks and drainage field occupied much of the open land between the hotel and the railroad.  To accommodate the excess, secured drain lines under the railroad to a tract of nine acres across the east side of the railroad was built.

 On November 24, 1915, a twelve page deed from 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 $7000.00 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 the first installment due in one year.  This sale included all the land, furniture, fixtures, appliances and machinery in the hotel; the pumps machinery and bottling equipment in the pump-house on Broadway, auto, trucks and laundry machinery in the warehouse, three cows and spring wagon, dynamo and sewage pumping equipment and trademarks and trade names. The deed also carried the provision that owners of eighty four shares of stock of The Kentucky Carlsbad Springs Hotel Company shall be compensated by issuing  its stock to them share for share equal par value.

 Thirteen residents of Georgetown were also investors.  Grant County investors include:  AD Blaine, Wm McCoy, Perry Simpson, J. Price,  R. P. Conrad, Ottis Conyers, Jno. McCoy, Eldred Conrad, I. N. Conrad, J. N. Franks, Jno. G. Renaker, J. W. Judy, John Conrad, Jno. S. Steers, Henry Juett, J. T. Nickell, J. F. Tomlin, S. M. Billiter, C. A. Eckler, W. A. Vest , J.C. B. Conrad, W. H. Spicer, Dock Bowman, G. E. McAtee, Mrs. Letha Conrad, J. R. Lang, Nannie A. Bowman, V. S. Metcalfe, R. D. Hogan, and F. M. Bennett.

 John S. Steers, a director of the Lake View Sanitarium and Hotel Company had planned to build a hotel on a lot he had previously drilled for mineral water. These plans were scraped when the Carlsbad Hotel was purchased by Lake View.

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