“The Natatorium will be thrown open to the public at 1 o’clock this afternoon,” the Idaho Statesman reported on the morning of May 25, 1892. “People are anxious to try the wonderful pool and baths, and the opening will no doubt be characterized by a large attendance.”
The next day the paper called the Nat a “popular resort” despite its having been open for a single day. “The electric streetcar company made use of all the cars and there was a constant flow of spectators to the resort all day.”
In an article on June 1, 1892, the Statesman observed, “The Natatorium has taken the people by storm, and enormous crowds visit it each day. Manager John McGuigan is very strict, and nothing of an unpleasant nature can possibly occur.”
An earlier complaint, voiced at a YMCA meeting, that the Nat was going to be “a big saloon with a little pool thrown in” may have prompted a few people to fear that the place might have the rowdy air of a saloon.
The formal opening of the Natatorium took place on Thursday, June 2, 1892, with a grand ball. “It is not an invitation event, as many suppose. It is a public event, and the larger the crowd the merrier. Tickets — admitting a gentleman and a lady, and including supper — are for sale at $4 each at James A. Pinney’s. The event will be a brilliant one.”
In an editorial the Statesman said it was “practically a duty of the people of Boise to turn out and attend the grand opening,” and predicted “society will be out in full force tonight.” About 500 people did attend that grand opening ball.
More than 1,700 tickets were sold for the Nat’s first Fourth of July event, and the Statesman estimated later that more than 1,200 people had been in the building at the same time. A “swimming match” was announced on July 10 with a “pot” to the entrant who completed eight laps around the pool in the fastest time.
Sadly, on the very first day it was filled, a young man who couldn’t swim had gone into the pool against the rules and had drowned.
That summer, cigar maker J. Lund of Boise introduced his own brand of Natatorium Cigars with a color lithograph of the building on the inside cover of each box. A line engraving of the Nat would appear regularly in the Statesman in ads announcing dancing every Saturday night.
Musicians featured that summer of 1892 included “Prof. Joseph Rice, America’s greatest harp soloist” and a Mr. Peck, pianist. In August a program of sacred music was offered, and in September “Prof. Ballot’s celebrated orchestra of 10 pieces will render the music at the Natatorium … dancing will be in order after 8:30 o’clock.”
Adolph Ballot, a watchmaker and jeweler, had been one of the original members of Boise’s first Philharmonic Orchestra in 1887, a group made up of local businessmen.
At the end of October 1892, the Republican Party held a political rally for its candidates in the upcoming November election. The Statesman enthused over “the magnificent sight presented by the handsomely decorated building,” the front of which was “covered with flags and Japanese lanterns, all illuminated by a number of electric lights.”
William J. McConnell of Moscow was elected governor by a fair margin over Democrat and People’s party candidates, although both outvoted him handily in Ada County.
The 1893 Boise City Directory carried this ad: “The Natatorium, operated by the Artesian Hot & Cold Water Co. Ltd., C.W. Moore, President; H.B. Eastman, General Manager; Alfred Eoff, Treasurer, E.B. Tage, Secretary … Electric cars leave Main St. for the Natatorium every 20 minutes.”
The company’s 1893 Fourth of July ad in the Statesman, and likely sent to other papers as well, featured a stronger sales pitch: “The Natatorium, The Great Health and Pleasure Resort of the Intermountain Region. You cannot afford to pass through Idaho without paying the institution a visit. Grand Hop evening of the Fourth commencing 8 o’clock. Music: first and second violins, bass viol, clarinet and cornet. Cold supper served the entire evening. Electric cars every 15 minutes from 2 p.m. until midnight.”
Next week we’ll describe more of the highlights of Natatorium history over the next 40 years when it played a prominent role in the life of Idaho’s capital city — and how it all came to an end.
Arthur Hart writes this column on Idaho history for the Idaho Statesman each Sunday. Email histnart@mindspring.com.
