Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Lamar Bathhouse

— Hot Springs National Park —

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 5, 2022

1. Lamar Bathhouse Marker

Inscription. The first Lamar opened in 1888, the final year that Georgia-born Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (1825-1891) — a former Confederate officer, overseas ambassador for the Confederacy, and U.S. Representative and Senator for Mississippi — served as Secretary of Interior under President Grover Cleveland. Lamar was a tremendously popular figure in the South, since he had championed the call for amnesty toward Confederate soldiers. Also in 1888, Lamar became a United States Supreme Court Justice. Linking the bathhouse to such a distinguished personage not only honored the man, it also honored the bathhouse. As late as 1917, a local promotional guide praised the Lamar as an “important institution.” The present Lamar opened in 1923. L.Q.C. Lamar's reputation faded as Civil War veterans died, and a 1931 blueprint for improvements in the building had his name mistakenly spelled “La Mar.” This is reflected in the pre-1935 exterior plaques, which even use an accent mark. His legacy, however, is secure in history. The Law Center at University of Mississippi is named for Lamar, as is a county in Alabama, a river in Yellowstone National

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Park, and a hot spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse.

[Captions]
• Top left: Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar in 1888.
• Bottom left: Lamar Spring
• Right: The first Lamar Bathhouse in 1888

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 34° 30.697′ N, 93° 3.216′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is on Reserve Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 105 Reserve St, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Ouachita Mountains.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 5, 2022

2. Lamar Bathhouse Marker

CONFIRM THIS Now in the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center, the marker previously was in front of the Lamar Bathhouse.

of this marker: An American Spa (a few steps from this marker); U.S. Park Ranger James Alexander Cary (within shouting distance of this marker); Bathhouse Row (within shouting distance of this marker); The Eastman Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); The Roosevelts in Hot Springs (within shouting distance of this marker); Notable Hot Springs Visitors (within shouting distance of this marker); Imperial Bathhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Buck Ewing (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 327 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 24, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.