At one time Ashland was called the “Carlsbad of Oregon,” referring to the large number of mineral springs in the area. One of the more attractive soda springs emerged from the banks along Emigrant Creek on the stage route between Ashland and Klamath Falls.
The beauty of the area and the springs led Ashland dentist Dr. Colwell and his wife to locate in 1867 at the Soda Springs Ranch. In 1870, he built the extravagant Soda Springs Hotel which became a gathering place for Ashland’s “high society.”
In 1884, Jacob Wagner bought the ranch and renamed it Wagner Soda Springs. In 1886 a post office was established and in 1891 Wagner’s son, John, opened the Siskiyou Natural Mineral Water plant. The bottled water was widely distributed and became popular in bars as a cocktail mixer.
Wagner’s was one of the first mineral springs developed in Southern Oregon, but one of the first to close its doors after state Route 66 bypassed it. The post office closed in 1911.
Prohibition in 1916 lowered sales and in 1926 the hotel burned to the ground.
Sources: Darling, John. "Springing to Life." Mail Tribune, 7 Aug. 2017 [Medford, OR], mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/springing-to-life; Horowitz, Howard. "The Landscapes of Hot Springs and Mineral Springs in Western Oregon." Thesis- UofO Master’s Thesis. 1973, pp. 87-89, www.deschutesmeridian.com/hotsprings/horowitz_1973.pdf; "Siskiyou Natural Mineral Water." SOHS, 2005, sohs.pastperfectonline.com/byperson?keyword=Wagner%2C+John+Marshall; Water Background Booklet 2012 Edits-City of Ashland. 2nd ed., Ashland, OR, North Mountain Park Nature Center, 2012, p. 15, www.ashland.or.us/Files/Water%20booklet%20PDF%20for%20web.pdf.
