Searching for a cure, he heard of reputedly curative hot springs on the Rio Grande while visiting Alpine, Texas.

[2] The site was the first major tourist attraction in the area, predating the establishment of the national park.

[3] The structures were built of local stone with wood trussed roofs covered with corrugated metal.

The springs were visited by Pedro de Rábago y Terán in 1747, who found Apaches farming the area.

[2] The water contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, chloride and smaller concentrations of arsenic, lithium, rubidium, strontium, thallium, uranium, and tungsten.

The site is accessible by unpaved road, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Rio Grande Village, otherwise known as Boquillas.