November 2004

Along The Right Of Way

November 2004

M.P. D16.6 - 7th Subdivision -

West Baden earned its fame from its mineral springs. Originally known as Mile Lick, the community was renamed West Baden, after Weisbaden, Germany, in 1888. Since the only thing that separates West Baden and French Lick is a boundary line, the two towns share many historical similarities and are locally referred to as “Springs Valley.” The towns were built around lavish resort hotels and in West Baden it was the West Baden Springs Hotel, now referred to as the West Baden Springs National Historic Landmark. It took architect Harrison Albright only 277 days in 1902 to complete the current West Baden Springs Hotel for owner Lee Wiley Sinclair. The structure features a 200-foot domed atrium, the largest free-span dome in the world until the Houston Astrodome was built in 1968.

Until the stock market crash and the Great Depression, the town of West Baden had earned from travelers the nickname of “The Monte Carlo of America.” While it was the West Baden Springs Hotel that brought the rich and famous (and even the infamous gangster Al Capone) to the area, there were other prominent businessmen who left their marks on West Baden. Before it made its way to French Lick, West Baden was the first stop in the area for the Monon Line. Wealthy travelers from cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and routinely made their way to West Baden via the Monon and B&O railroad lines.

-Courtesy Orange County, Indiana Website-

West Baden Springs National Historic Landmark is open year-round for guided tours. The former spa hotel, located about 100 miles south of Indianapolis, was partially restored by Cook Group Incorporated of Bloomington and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. Pictured is the breathtaking atrium, now beautifully restored to its original splendor. The West Baden Springs Hotel in West Baden Indiana is one of the most unique architectural structures. Until 1963, when the Astrodome was built, the hotel's dome was the largest in the world, 200 feet in diameter, 100 feet in height. The dome is larger than St. Peter Basilica and the Pantheon. It was built in 277 days in 1902 and required 30 months to restore in 1996-98. The original four towers were recreated and lifted by helicopter in October 1998; this date marks the completion of the restoration.

Inside the dome.

Left: The West Baden depot seen in better times. Right: The West Baden depot, circa 1964. Even back then it looks like the structure has seen better days. Another of the great shots from the Charles Huffer CD collection, available from the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society. Visit the Company Store and order a copy.

West Baden freight house, date unknown. Another of the great shots from the Charles Huffer CD collection, available from the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society. Visit the Company Store and order a copy.

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