You probably wouldn't do what Charles Broadwater did in 1888. He decided to build an electric tramway, a railway branch line, and the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium, a five-star hotel and the largest natural hot spring pool in the world.

The construction schedule was 12 months and the building was actually completed in 12 months.

The original construction cost estimates were $300,000. The total cost is estimated at $500,000. In 2024 it would be $17,000,000.

By June 1, 1889, the “Broadwater Hotel was nearly completed, and soon the hotel's 275 workmen will join those at the 'immersion bath' to hasten its completion,” reported the Helena Independent Record.

The hotel, a Victorian-style building designed by Helena architects Wallace, Thornburgh and Appleton, was two stories high and had several round-roofed summer house verandas. The hotel featured 50 guest rooms, 40 private bathrooms, a billiards room, a ballroom, three dining rooms, a bar and two living rooms.

The hotel opened on Monday, August 26, 1889. Nearly 400 visitors arrived by car and 100 arrived in their own carriages. The diving pool opened on August 31.

The gigantic Moorish-style swimming pool, spa and plunge pool was created by another group of Helena's architects, John Paulsen and Noah McConnell. The pool was considered the largest indoor swimming pool in the world at the time.

The pool was 300 by 100 feet and had two cascades of water at one end, one hot and one cold. This water came from the natural springs of Ten Mile Creek. There were 100 changing rooms. The vaulted ceiling had imported stained glass windows that resembled a clerestory.

The pool area had walkways along every length, and there was an observation deck above the changing rooms where guests could watch the swimmers and admire the skylights.

Four weeks after the hotel's grand opening, the complex was closed for the season to complete the adjacent facilities. During this time, the thermal lake was dug: 1,700 feet long (a third of a mile) and 12 feet deep. The reason for the lake was for canoeing or paddle boating.

At the beginning of the 1890s, the complex attracted large crowds: on July 4, 1890, 6,000 people visited the swimming pool, on the last Sunday of June 1891, 4,400 swimmers plunged into the water, and on opening day in 1892, large crowds flocked to the swimming pool and thermal lake.

While the plunge could draw crowds, the hotel struggled from the start. Mr. Broadwater's death on May 24, 1892, when he was not yet 52 (he was born September 25, 1840), cost the Broadwater its drive and its heart. Shortly thereafter, the Silver Panic of 1893 contributed to Helena's population falling by 22% in the 1890s.

Helena's public schools peaked at 1,823 elementary students in grades 1 through 8 in 1893. It would be 56 years before enrollment exceeded that number.

In 1899 a new competitor appeared: the Columbia Gardens of Butte.

Fortunately, the State Fair week provided an opportunity to attract visitors to Broadwater. On September 24, 1924, the hotel hosted a gala event: the third annual coronation of the Queen of Montana.

The Montana Record-Herald reports, “The princesses of 1922 and 1923, both of Helena, were in the receiving line. Forty-six princesses representing their city or county were present. The contest to elect the Queen of Montana begins Wednesday. … and from this group one will not only be chosen for the honor of the title of Queen Montana, but she will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, next week, accompanied by Mrs. P.B. Snelson, to represent the Treasure State at the Petroleum Exposition.”

Beautiful women and beautiful buildings cannot stop a business that is on the brink of collapse. The hotel was never profitable. It was not affordable for the local population; the managers/owners changed often, but no one could turn things around.

The swimming pool was used until the earthquakes in October 1935. The quake weakened the rocks in the swimming pool and the water pipes were damaged in inaccessible places. The ship sank.

The basement was demolished in 1946. The same thing happened with the hotel: first, the auction took place in 1974, where architectural elements such as lights, windows, doors and fittings were sold. Then the remains were demolished in 1976.

The ground would become ground again.