Looking for parts one and two? Check them out the last two blog posts!
The Mud Harvest
Mud harvest at Mudbaden, 1915. Photo from the SCHS Collections.
Despite Mudbaden’s fancy new offerings, the base of the spa still rested in the mud. The sulfur-laden mud around the property was harvested each day and taken into the spa for use in treatments.
The process was labor-intensive. First, the mud was dug out of the ground with a hand operated crane and loaded into a cart on a small rail track that was built for the sole purpose of moving mud. The cart was drawn, again by hand, into a space known as the mud room. This space featured a large mixer connected to a gas engine. The mixer broke up the mud and staff removed any vegetation or rocks that had become mixed into the muck. The mud was then heated, creating the proper temperature and consistency for curative processes.
Mudbaden’s “Cures”
Mens’ mudroom at Mudbaden, around 1910. Photo from the SCHS Collections.
The health treatments at Mudbaden took place in “mud rooms” that were divided by gender. When patients went in for their treatment, they would be directed to mud tables. These were massive steel tables with a shallow basin on top where hot mud was placed 3-6 inched deep. As patients laid in the muck, additional mud was placed over them, covering their bodies except for their faces.
The goal of the treatment was to sweat in the sulfur-rich air. After the mud treatment, patients were rinsed in a large tub in the center of the room, and then wrapped in blankets and given sulfur-infused water to rink to increase their sweat. Finally, they were taken to a “cooling room”, and given a massage.
These treatments all took place in the morning, leaving the afternoons free for entertainment and relaxation.
Did it work?
Though Mudbaden advertised its sulfur services for many different ailments, the most common patient complaint was rheumatism, or arthritis. While the treatment would not have “cured” arthritis, heat and humidity are still used today to help control pain. There is some scattered evidence that also points to sulfur also helping with arthritis pain, but no large, well-controlled studies have ever been conducted.
If nothing else, spending a period of time relaxing, getting daily massages, and being catered to by room service likely made many patients who suffered from chronic pain feel temporarily better.
Still Growing
Staff at Mudbaden, around 1910. Photo from the SCHS Collections.
Mudbaden continued to grow in size and popularity throughout the 1920s. By 1924 the facility had a medical staff of four doctors, four nurses and one lab technician, as well as three massage specialists. The medical offerings of the resort expanded, adding an x-ray machine and two operating rooms. Forty-two other employees also lived on site, harvesting mud and providing hospitality services.
Mudbaden experienced a bit of a lag during the depression and years of World War 2. In 1948 that facility was sold again to David E Braum of Chicago. By 1950, advances in modern medicine had, to many people’s minds, rendered the services offered at Mudbaden obsolete.
New Tenants
On July 1st, 1952, Mudbaden closed its doors. The facility was purchased by The Sacred Heart Novitiate, and affiliate of the University of in South Bend, Indiana. The building was occupied by postulates and used in the training of prospective Catholic priests. Trainees stayed for one year at the facility, living mostly in silence. Religious vows were taken at the end of the years, after which the novices returned to Notre Dame to continue their academic religious studies.
In 1969 the facility changed hands again and became known as Lynnville, a rehabilitation center for alcohol addiction. In the late 1970s services expanded, offering drug treatment services as well.
In 1985, Mudbaden was purchased by Scott County, which still owns the property today. Initially it was used as a minimum-security jail annex. Today, the former Mudbaden is known as the SCALE Regional Public Safety Training Facility. The buildings are used for training and education opportunities for Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Public Works, and other county services.
If you have the opportunity to attend a class or visit the facility, you can still see its former glory in graceful woodwork and large airy windows. Even if you are unable to go inside, it it still worth it to drive by and see this building that was once the medical pride of Scott County!
Written by Rose James, SCHS Program Manager
