Hot Springs Histories
@hshistories.bsky.social
Uncovering the true stories of America's original Sin City. If you think you know Hot Springs, think again. ♨️ Get the full story: www.hotspringshistories.com
BIG NEWS! 🔥 I'm officially going into "production mode" for the rest of the year to build a backlog for a massive 2026. Weekly articles are paused, but I'm not disappearing!
Get ready for the grand relaunch with new articles, videos, and podcasts in January! #Announcement #ComingSoon
Get ready for the grand relaunch with new articles, videos, and podcasts in January! #Announcement #ComingSoon
September 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
BIG NEWS! 🔥 I'm officially going into "production mode" for the rest of the year to build a backlog for a massive 2026. Weekly articles are paused, but I'm not disappearing!
Get ready for the grand relaunch with new articles, videos, and podcasts in January! #Announcement #ComingSoon
Get ready for the grand relaunch with new articles, videos, and podcasts in January! #Announcement #ComingSoon
1/3: 🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨 In 1877 Hot Springs, newspaper editor Charles Matthews publicly criticized Mayor T.F. Linde. The mayor's response was... unconventional. He shot him. On the main street. In broad daylight.
September 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
1/3: 🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨 In 1877 Hot Springs, newspaper editor Charles Matthews publicly criticized Mayor T.F. Linde. The mayor's response was... unconventional. He shot him. On the main street. In broad daylight.
What happens when a mayor gets tired of reading bad press?
In 1877 Hot Springs, Mayor T.F. Linde decided to cancel his subscription.
With a pistol.
And then a second pistol.
My new article on the wildest political dispute in Spa City history drops tomorrow. #HotSprings #Arkansas #TrueCrime #History
In 1877 Hot Springs, Mayor T.F. Linde decided to cancel his subscription.
With a pistol.
And then a second pistol.
My new article on the wildest political dispute in Spa City history drops tomorrow. #HotSprings #Arkansas #TrueCrime #History
September 9, 2025 at 12:10 PM
What happens when a mayor gets tired of reading bad press?
In 1877 Hot Springs, Mayor T.F. Linde decided to cancel his subscription.
With a pistol.
And then a second pistol.
My new article on the wildest political dispute in Spa City history drops tomorrow. #HotSprings #Arkansas #TrueCrime #History
In 1877 Hot Springs, Mayor T.F. Linde decided to cancel his subscription.
With a pistol.
And then a second pistol.
My new article on the wildest political dispute in Spa City history drops tomorrow. #HotSprings #Arkansas #TrueCrime #History
1/2: From the archives: A vintage ad for what is, in my biased opinion, the best water on the planet—Mountain Valley. Bottled in Hot Springs since 1871! #HotSprings
September 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM
1/2: From the archives: A vintage ad for what is, in my biased opinion, the best water on the planet—Mountain Valley. Bottled in Hot Springs since 1871! #HotSprings
Then & Now: The U.S. Army and Navy General Hospital (ca. 1887). For nearly a century, it was a place of healing for American soldiers. Today, it's the Arkansas Career Training Institute. An incredible piece of Hot Springs history still watching over the city. #HotSprings #ArkansasHistory #ThenAndNow
September 7, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Then & Now: The U.S. Army and Navy General Hospital (ca. 1887). For nearly a century, it was a place of healing for American soldiers. Today, it's the Arkansas Career Training Institute. An incredible piece of Hot Springs history still watching over the city. #HotSprings #ArkansasHistory #ThenAndNow
Reminder that during the Gilded Age in Hot Springs, one of the main tourist attractions was an Ostrich Farm where you could ride them.
The past was a very, very strange place.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #WeirdHistory
The past was a very, very strange place.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #WeirdHistory
September 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reminder that during the Gilded Age in Hot Springs, one of the main tourist attractions was an Ostrich Farm where you could ride them.
The past was a very, very strange place.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #WeirdHistory
The past was a very, very strange place.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #WeirdHistory
The editor of the local paper and the Mayor of Hot Springs once had a literal shootout in the middle of town.
After they both recovered from their wounds, they became next-door neighbors.
No, really.
#HotSpringsHistory #StrangerThanFiction
After they both recovered from their wounds, they became next-door neighbors.
No, really.
#HotSpringsHistory #StrangerThanFiction
September 5, 2025 at 12:10 PM
The editor of the local paper and the Mayor of Hot Springs once had a literal shootout in the middle of town.
After they both recovered from their wounds, they became next-door neighbors.
No, really.
#HotSpringsHistory #StrangerThanFiction
After they both recovered from their wounds, they became next-door neighbors.
No, really.
#HotSpringsHistory #StrangerThanFiction
FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS:
1/2: Meet the "Arlington Gang" - the railroad tycoon, the church-goer, and the boss gambler who ran Hot Springs.
1/2: Meet the "Arlington Gang" - the railroad tycoon, the church-goer, and the boss gambler who ran Hot Springs.
September 4, 2025 at 12:23 PM
FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS:
1/2: Meet the "Arlington Gang" - the railroad tycoon, the church-goer, and the boss gambler who ran Hot Springs.
1/2: Meet the "Arlington Gang" - the railroad tycoon, the church-goer, and the boss gambler who ran Hot Springs.
1/3: The story of Hot Springs is always about the rich & famous. But who actually did the work? Our new article, "We Bathe the World," tells the story of the unseen laborers who built the American Spa. #HotSpringsHistory
September 3, 2025 at 12:05 PM
1/3: The story of Hot Springs is always about the rich & famous. But who actually did the work? Our new article, "We Bathe the World," tells the story of the unseen laborers who built the American Spa. #HotSpringsHistory
Ever wonder who had to scrub the tubs after the Gilded Age millionaires were done soaking?
Tomorrow, we're telling the story of the forgotten workers who built and ran the American Spa. It's a side of Hot Springs history you've never heard.
#HotSpringsHistory #LaborDay #Arkansas
Tomorrow, we're telling the story of the forgotten workers who built and ran the American Spa. It's a side of Hot Springs history you've never heard.
#HotSpringsHistory #LaborDay #Arkansas
September 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Ever wonder who had to scrub the tubs after the Gilded Age millionaires were done soaking?
Tomorrow, we're telling the story of the forgotten workers who built and ran the American Spa. It's a side of Hot Springs history you've never heard.
#HotSpringsHistory #LaborDay #Arkansas
Tomorrow, we're telling the story of the forgotten workers who built and ran the American Spa. It's a side of Hot Springs history you've never heard.
#HotSpringsHistory #LaborDay #Arkansas
Happy Labor Day from Hot Springs!
Today, we’re honoring the unseen army of attendants, builders, and porters who built the “American Spa.” Our new article this Wednesday tells their incredible story.
#LaborDay #HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas
Today, we’re honoring the unseen army of attendants, builders, and porters who built the “American Spa.” Our new article this Wednesday tells their incredible story.
#LaborDay #HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas
September 1, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Happy Labor Day from Hot Springs!
Today, we’re honoring the unseen army of attendants, builders, and porters who built the “American Spa.” Our new article this Wednesday tells their incredible story.
#LaborDay #HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas
Today, we’re honoring the unseen army of attendants, builders, and porters who built the “American Spa.” Our new article this Wednesday tells their incredible story.
#LaborDay #HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas
You know the beautiful promenade in front of Bathhouse Row? In the 1880s, it was an open sewer called Hot Springs Creek. 🤢
They literally paved over it. Just another wild chapter in Spa City history.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #GildedAge
They literally paved over it. Just another wild chapter in Spa City history.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #GildedAge
August 31, 2025 at 12:39 PM
You know the beautiful promenade in front of Bathhouse Row? In the 1880s, it was an open sewer called Hot Springs Creek. 🤢
They literally paved over it. Just another wild chapter in Spa City history.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #GildedAge
They literally paved over it. Just another wild chapter in Spa City history.
#HotSpringsHistory #Arkansas #GildedAge
1/3: History Spotlight: The Skirmish at Farr's Mill (July 1864). This wasn't a huge battle, but it perfectly captures the brutal reality of the Civil War in Hot Springs. 🧵 #HotSpringsHistory
August 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
1/3: History Spotlight: The Skirmish at Farr's Mill (July 1864). This wasn't a huge battle, but it perfectly captures the brutal reality of the Civil War in Hot Springs. 🧵 #HotSpringsHistory
1/2: From the new article: The Civil War in Hot Springs "was a brutal, intimate war of ambush and reprisal, fought by pro-Confederate bushwhackers and pro-Union 'Mountain Feds' who used the chaos to settle scores..."
August 29, 2025 at 12:33 PM
1/2: From the new article: The Civil War in Hot Springs "was a brutal, intimate war of ambush and reprisal, fought by pro-Confederate bushwhackers and pro-Union 'Mountain Feds' who used the chaos to settle scores..."
1/1: One of the most powerful legacies of the Civil War in Hot Springs is who came after. The town, left in ruins, saw a slow trickle of visitors: veterans from both the Union and Confederacy, seeking relief from their wounds in the thermal waters. #CivilWarLegacy #HotSprings
August 28, 2025 at 12:26 PM
1/1: One of the most powerful legacies of the Civil War in Hot Springs is who came after. The town, left in ruins, saw a slow trickle of visitors: veterans from both the Union and Confederacy, seeking relief from their wounds in the thermal waters. #CivilWarLegacy #HotSprings
🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨
The quirky story of the "capital in a cottage" hides a much darker truth. After the governor fled, Hot Springs was abandoned, becoming a lawless battlefield for a brutal guerrilla war that nearly destroyed the town.
The quirky story of the "capital in a cottage" hides a much darker truth. After the governor fled, Hot Springs was abandoned, becoming a lawless battlefield for a brutal guerrilla war that nearly destroyed the town.
A Town Abandoned: The True Story of Hot Springs During the Civil War
Forget the myths of grand battles. Discover the forgotten history of how a fledgling spa town became a temporary state capital, only to be consumed by a brutal guerrilla war.
www.hotspringshistories.com
August 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨
The quirky story of the "capital in a cottage" hides a much darker truth. After the governor fled, Hot Springs was abandoned, becoming a lawless battlefield for a brutal guerrilla war that nearly destroyed the town.
The quirky story of the "capital in a cottage" hides a much darker truth. After the governor fled, Hot Springs was abandoned, becoming a lawless battlefield for a brutal guerrilla war that nearly destroyed the town.
1/2: TOMORROW: We're exploring one of the weirdest chapters in Arkansas history—when Hot Springs became the state capital during the Civil War. Why? One word: panic. 🧵
August 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
1/2: TOMORROW: We're exploring one of the weirdest chapters in Arkansas history—when Hot Springs became the state capital during the Civil War. Why? One word: panic. 🧵
1/2: The Ouachita Mountains weren't just a scenic backdrop; they were a strategic nightmare in the 1860s. #OuachitaMountains
August 25, 2025 at 12:24 PM
1/2: The Ouachita Mountains weren't just a scenic backdrop; they were a strategic nightmare in the 1860s. #OuachitaMountains
Let's settle a local debate. Was Hot Springs a major, neutral hospital town during the Civil War? The popular legend says yes, but history can be tricky. What do you think?
👍 Yes, it was a hospital town
👎 No, that's a myth
👍 Yes, it was a hospital town
👎 No, that's a myth
August 24, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Let's settle a local debate. Was Hot Springs a major, neutral hospital town during the Civil War? The popular legend says yes, but history can be tricky. What do you think?
👍 Yes, it was a hospital town
👎 No, that's a myth
👍 Yes, it was a hospital town
👎 No, that's a myth
Quote of the Day from our new article: “In 1899, the Hot Springs Police Dept and the County Sheriff's Office had a full-blown gun battle in the street over who got to control the gambling money. The Police Chief was killed.” Unbelievable. #History #TrueCrime #Arkansas
August 21, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Quote of the Day from our new article: “In 1899, the Hot Springs Police Dept and the County Sheriff's Office had a full-blown gun battle in the street over who got to control the gambling money. The Police Chief was killed.” Unbelievable. #History #TrueCrime #Arkansas
1/3:🔥 NEW ARTICLE LIVE 🔥
Healers, Grifters, and Gunslingers: A Visitor’s Guide to Surviving 19th-Century Hot Springs.
Forget the spa brochures. The real story is a Wild West epic of crime and corruption.
www.hotspringshistories.com/p/healers-gr...
#History #TrueCrime
Healers, Grifters, and Gunslingers: A Visitor’s Guide to Surviving 19th-Century Hot Springs.
Forget the spa brochures. The real story is a Wild West epic of crime and corruption.
www.hotspringshistories.com/p/healers-gr...
#History #TrueCrime
Healers, Grifters, and Gunslingers: A Visitor's Guide to Surviving 19th-Century Hot Springs
Before the gangsters, a trip to America's first health resort was a gauntlet of highwaymen, con artists, and warring lawmen. Welcome to the real Wild West.
www.hotspringshistories.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:15 PM
1/3:🔥 NEW ARTICLE LIVE 🔥
Healers, Grifters, and Gunslingers: A Visitor’s Guide to Surviving 19th-Century Hot Springs.
Forget the spa brochures. The real story is a Wild West epic of crime and corruption.
www.hotspringshistories.com/p/healers-gr...
#History #TrueCrime
Healers, Grifters, and Gunslingers: A Visitor’s Guide to Surviving 19th-Century Hot Springs.
Forget the spa brochures. The real story is a Wild West epic of crime and corruption.
www.hotspringshistories.com/p/healers-gr...
#History #TrueCrime
Arriving in 19th-century Hot Springs wasn't the end of your perilous journey—it was the beginning. This Wednesday, we explore the con men, crooked cops, and gunslingers who made the "Valley of Vapors" a true Wild West town. #History #TrueCrime #Arkansas
August 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Arriving in 19th-century Hot Springs wasn't the end of your perilous journey—it was the beginning. This Wednesday, we explore the con men, crooked cops, and gunslingers who made the "Valley of Vapors" a true Wild West town. #History #TrueCrime #Arkansas
Forget Florida. The OG Spring Training spot was Hot Springs, AR. ⚾ Legends like Babe Ruth & Honus Wagner came to "boil out the winter" in the thermal baths and train on the mountain trails. It was the birthplace of the "First Boys of Spring." #BaseballHistory #Arkansas
August 18, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Forget Florida. The OG Spring Training spot was Hot Springs, AR. ⚾ Legends like Babe Ruth & Honus Wagner came to "boil out the winter" in the thermal baths and train on the mountain trails. It was the birthplace of the "First Boys of Spring." #BaseballHistory #Arkansas