Idanha Hotel 2, Soda Springs Idaho 1890

The Idanha Hotel opened in the rough and tumble frontier town of Soda Springs, Idaho, in 1887 as a luxury resort. On this delicate, hand-painted menu image from the hotel’s dining room, you will see an insect playing sweet music alongside a rose.

This little town in Caribou County is famous for its mineral springs. From before recorded history, Native Americans had benefited from the area’s naturally carbonated springs. Then in 1887, an entrepreneur called Fred J. Kiesel started bottling the mineral-rich water. It became a prestigious brand, winning awards at World Fairs in the US and abroad.

The Idanha, built by the Union Pacific Railroad and named after the famous water, was a luxury hotel designed to capitalize on the popularity of these mineral-rich springs during the booming railroad era.

A stop on the Oregon Trail, this hotel had electric lights and natural gas heating and was probably the last word in luxury for the era. The wealthy tourists who arrived by train dined spectacularly, as you will see from this menu. There was also an extensive – and expensive - wine list, with a quart of champagne (approximately the same as today's 750ml bottle) costing $4.50.

The hotel was across the road from the eight-sided pavilion that covered the famous Octagon Spring, from which the effervescent water emanated, and became another draw for hotel guests.

We also believe some wealthy hotel guests came to Soda Springs to be treated by Dr Ellis Kackley, known as ‘the best damn doctor in the West.’  Widely celebrated for his dedication and skill as a frontier doctor, he is estimated to have delivered 4,000 babies.

Famously, he was also the subject of a kidnap attempt by Butch Cassidy’s gang who wanted him to treat an injured outlaw. Dr Kackley told the kidnappers to put away their guns and went willingly to treat the injured man.

The Idanha hotel was destroyed by fire in 1921 amid speculation an illegal moonshine still was to blame.