In June of 1999, Chico Hot Springs was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
In honor of this prestigious listing, Chico was presented with a special plaque, which is now
displayed just outside the front door of the Main Lodge.
Generous verandas, period furnishings, and healing waters invite the visitor to experience
turn-of-the-century hospitality under the shadow of Emigrant Peak. The hot springs, long appreciated
by native peoples, got their commercial start during the territorial period when miners stopped by to
bathe and "wash their duds".
In 1876, an inventive settler tapped into the 112 degree water, piping it under his greenhouse to
grow vegetables for local residents. A hotel was planned in the 1800's, but in 1892, there were
still no facilities and families camped nearby to enjoy the springs.
Percie and Bill Knowles inherited the property in 1894. They ran a boarding house for miners and
in 1900 built the long-awaited hot springs hotel. Under Knowles' active promotion, uniformed drivers
ferried such guests as Teddy Roosevelt and artist Charlie Russell from the Emigrant train depot to the
springs.
When Bill Knowles died in 1910, Percie and her son Radbourne transformed the luxurious hotel into a
respected medical facility. Dr. George A. Townsend joined the staff in 1912 and under his direction,
the hospital and healing waters gained renown throughout the northwest.
After the 1940's, new owners and new directions included gambling and dude ranching. In 1974, Mike
and Eve Art began recapturing the once-famous hotel's turn-of-the-century ambiance. Chico Hot Springs,
with its Georgian-inspired architecture and warm Craftsman-style interiors, is one of Montana's best-preserved
examples of an early twentieth century hot springs hotel and health resort.
Generous verandas, period furnishings, and healing waters invite the visitor to experience
turn-of-the-century hospitality under the shadow of Emigrant Peak. The hot springs, long appreciated
by native peoples, got their commercial start during the territorial period when miners stopped by to
bathe and "wash their duds".
In 1876, an inventive settler tapped into the 112 degree water, piping it under his greenhouse to
grow vegetables for local residents. A hotel was planned in the 1800's, but in 1892, there were
still no facilities and families camped nearby to enjoy the springs.
Percie and Bill Knowles inherited the property in 1894. They ran a boarding house for miners and
in 1900 built the long-awaited hot springs hotel. Under Knowles' active promotion, uniformed drivers
ferried such guests as Teddy Roosevelt and artist Charlie Russell from the Emigrant train depot to the
springs.