Old West Bath House
Old West Bath House
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PUBLIC BATHING?
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Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness at a time when most people did not have access to private bathing facilities. The term public is not completely accurate, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons.
As societies have changed, the need for public baths has reduced as private bathing facilities became more commonly available. Public baths have also become incorporated into the social system as meeting places. As the title suggests public bathing does not refer only to bathing. In ancient times public bathing included saunas, massages and relaxation therapies.
Members of the society considered it as a place to meet and socialize. Public bathing could be compared to the spa of modern times. [source]
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VICTORIAN-ERA OLD WEST BATH HOUSES
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The Sacramento Bee of Sacramento, California, December 23, 1864.
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As evidenced by the advertisements from newspapers of the era (particularly in the western states and territories), bath houses were often connected to hotels (simple and refined), barber shops, shaving parlors, ladies’ hairdressers, and the like.
The following ad, a “Bathing Establishment and Tonsoloial [sic] parlors” offers a wide range of barber and hairdresser services (and apparently baths, too).
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![Kristin Holt | Old West Bath House. Bathing Establishment and Tolsolial [sic] advertised in Oakland Tribune of Oakland, California, on June 19, 1883.](https://www.kristinholt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Bathing-Establishment.-Haircuts-inc.-children.-Oakland-Tribune-of-Oakland-California-on-June-19-1883.jpg "Kristin Holt | Old West Bath House. Bathing Establishment and Tolsolial [sic] advertised in Oakland Tribune of Oakland, California, on June 19, 1883.")
Oakland Tribune of Oakland, California, on June 19, 1883.
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Nevada State Journal of Reno, Nevada, on May 24, 1885.
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TONSOLOIAL?
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It’s an 1883 typo. The typesetter grabbed an ‘l’ out of the bin rather than an ‘r’….and slipped in an extra ‘o’ for good measure. (It’s easy to do when working with an unfamiliar Latin word.) It’s actually tonsorial. And a popular word in the 19th century (and first half of the 20th).
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Tonsorial Definition, courtesy of Google. That’s it. Tonsorial is a word all gussied up in the early 19th century (from Latin). Simply put, tonsorial means heardresser or barber.
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HOT OR COLD BATHS(?)
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Who wants a cold bath, even in July?
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The Daily Kansas Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas on July 12, 1870.
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Wyandotte Gazette of Kansas City, Kansas on July 13, 1871.
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City Shaving Parlors offers both hot and cold baths. Advertised in the Osawatomie Graphic of Osawatomie, Kansas, on June 3, 1893.
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3 baths for $1! Is bathing a group activity? (Shanghai Noon would suggest that yes, bathing is a group activity.)
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Public Ledger of Memphis, Tennessee on June 24, 1873.
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“The bath scene” in Shanghai Noon. Image courtesy of Pinterest.
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Shaving and Bathing Saloon, owned and operated by R.C. Francis and Mrs. M.L. Francis. Interesting that the establishment is called a saloon rather than a salon. Advertisement in Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel of Santa Cruz, California, on April 17, 1869.
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Shaving and Bathing Saloon is still open for business 3 years later. Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel of Santa Cruz, California, on March 30, 1872.
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Quip used to advertise barber’s shaving services and the “bath-room” (public bath) at barber’s establishment. In the Osawatomie Graphic of Osawatomie, Kansas, on July 1, 1893.
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MEDICATED BATHS, STEAM BATHS, & TURKISH BATHS
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Vintage illustration for US Patent No 36720, H. W. Libbey Vapor Bath, Patented October 21, 1862.
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![Kristin Holt | Old west Bath House. Illustrated Ad for Turkish Bath from The Kansas Daily Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas, July 30, 1881. "having taken a regular course of Turkish Baths, goes forth a well man. The poisonous malaria is eliminated from his ysstem, the blood is purified, and circulation equalized; sleep sound and refreshing; appetite first-rate, digestion and assimulation [sic] perfect. No aches, no pains; joy and gladdness overflow his heart, as he sings the praise of the Turkish Bath. He feels the elixir of life coursing through his veins; his joints are supple, muscles strong and elastic, as evinced by his leaping a five-barred fence on his way home to the utter amazement of one of his neighbors. Take courage, therefore, ye afflicted, go to Dr. R. Dobbin's Turkish Bath House, No. 60, Vermont street, Lawrence, Kansas, and be healed."](https://www.kristinholt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Turkish-Baths.-Eliminates-malaria-cures-sleep-ailments-aches-digestion-joy.-The-Kansas-Daily-Tribune-of-Lawrence-KS-on-July-30-1881.jpg "Kristin Holt | Old west Bath House. Illustrated Ad for Turkish Bath from The Kansas Daily Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas, July 30, 1881.")
The Kansas Daily Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas, July 30, 1881.
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US Patent No 280675, awarded July 3, 1883 to L. Schulze: Medicated Vapor Bath. Original illustration.
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Smedley and Son offers Steam Baths at their Public Bath. Advertised in Lawrence Daily Journal of Lawrence, Kansas, on June 29, 1888. The special price–half off–would make the original going rate roughly 50 cents, or about $12.50 in current prices.
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$0.25 of 1888 dollars would be worth: $6.25 in 2015
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Medicated Steam Baths at Smedley’s. Advertised in Lawrence Daily Journal of Lawrence, Kansas, on June 29, 1888.
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$0.50 of 1888 dollars would be worth: $12.50 in 2015
$5 of 1888 dollars would be worth: $125.00 in 2015
$1.00 of 1888 dollars would be worth: $25.00 in 2015
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Manitou Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, offers Turkish Baths (as well as baths in suites). Ladies’ Hairdressing Salon in the building. The Salt Lake Herald of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on April 12, 1893.
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Ideal Bath House for Ladies and Gentlemen offers a wide variety of spa services. The Black Hills Daily Times of Deadwood, South Dakota, on June 27, 1896.
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NINETEENTH CENTURY LUXURY
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No running hot and cold water at home? No problem.
As more and more private residences had baths installed and access to such facilities became routine, the era of the public bath came to a close. But at the turn of the century (1900), Public Baths (or Bath Houses–not entirely the same thing) were still a feature of towns and cities alike. The businesses were patronized by the wealthy and by the poor.
At the turn of the 20th century, New York was a densely populated industrial city with many of the city’s residents living in squalid tenement homes that lacked facilities for regular bathing. In keeping with the strong progressive spirit of that era, the city built “public baths” that were buildings of showers intended to promote personal cleanliness and, ultimately, Godliness and good civic behavior. As private bathrooms became more universal, the bathhouses became unnecessary and most were decommissioned soon after the end of World War II, although at least one bath held out until the city’s financial crisis closed it in the 1970s. [source]
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The Oskaloosa Independent of Oskaloosa, Kansas, on June 24, 1898.
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Updated April 2022
Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC
Old West Bath House Old West Bath House
Great info! Thanks Kristin…I appreciate the research you’ve gathered here.
Hi K. Lyn–
Thank you for your kind comments. I’m glad you found this post helpful and interesting.
Thanks for stopping by!
~ Kristin