Legacy of the Lemons Family in Hot Springs' Bathing History

The Lemons family, like many African American families in and around Hot Springs National Park, took advantage of the park's reputation as a premier health and leisure resort in the twentieth century to secure jobs in a variety of positions in the town's bathhouses. National park records show at least nine members of the family worked in over ten of these establishments between the 1930s - 1990s. They not only secured steady employment and income, but built a reputation as hard-working, knowledgeable, and respected members of the workforce and their communities. The family also used the bathing industry as a way to look out for younger members and ensure their safety and security. Take a moment to learn more about these men and women and their legacies in Hot Springs' bathing industry.

 

Brochure for the Quapaw Bathhouse featuring bath attendants James C. Ferguson, Charlie (no last name found), and Richard Lemons.

Hot Springs National Park Archives

Richard and Lulu Lemons

Born in Hot Springs in 1894, Richard Lemons left his hometown in the 1910s to serve in the Army during World War I. Upon returning to Arkansas, Lemons took up work in the bathing industry, beginning a long tenure at the Quapaw Bathhouse. The stability Lemons demonstrated at his job led to his appointment as President of the Bath House Workers Union. Described as a "progressive president" by the Arkansas State Press, the largest African American newspaper in Arkansas, Lemons devised a plan to get bathhouse workers Sundays off, providing time for them to rest, enjoy time with family, and attend religious services.

Lulu (Lula) Whitehead worked in numerous bathhouses between the 1920s to the 1950s, including the bathhouse in St. Joseph's Hospital, the Superior Bathhouse, and the Arlington Hotel. This variety brought Lulu in contact with patients and patrons from all walks of life and economic conditions. While the Arlington Hotel catered to some of Hot Springs most famous visitors, the Superior Bathhouse catered to working class individuals, and St. Joseph's Infirmary was one of Hot Springs' oldest hospitals. Lulu and Richard married in 1937, joining together two different experiences in the bathhouses under one household.

 

Jimmie Lemons

Enjoy this video produced by Hot Springs National Park on the life and legacy of bath attendant Jimmie Lemons:

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 9 seconds

Jimmie Lemons worked as a bath attendant at the Majestic Hotel's bathhouse for over 60 years. During this time he not only developed the knowledge to make him succeed at his job, but developed a reputation as a respected member of his community.

 

Vivian Lemon's nameplate that she hung in the Lamar Bathhouse's women's bath hall. Presently located in Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum at Hot Springs National Park.

NPS Photo, D. Chmill

Vivian and Sedalia Lemons

From 1960-1981, Vivian Lemons worked most of her career at the Lamar Bathhouse. She would have been a witness to Hot Springs' drop in popularity and visitors coming to the park for their health. Between 1963 and 1985, all but one of the bathhouses on the world-famous Bathhouse Row closed, including the Lamar in 1985. The bathhouse reopened as the national park's bookstore and gift shop in 2011. Today, visitors can walk through the same bathhouse lobby that Vivian Lemons met patients and patrons during her career.

Vivian married Sedalia Lemons, who went by "Mike" in the bathhouses, in 1942. He worked in a number of Hot Springs most influential bathhouses. He began with his relative Jimmie Lemons at the Majestic Hotel, where a number of family members worked together, among those were Theodis Lemons and Richard Lemons Jr. Mike also worked at the National Baptist Hotel and Bathhouse in 1981. Originally the Woodmen of the Union Hotel and Bathhouse, this establishment was built by African American organizations for the exclusive use by African American visitors. It was a proactive response by Black men and women who sought access to the national park's thermal waters in an era of Jim Crow segregation. Sedalia Lemons witnessed the last years of the Baptist Hotel and Bathhouse as it closed in 1983.

 

Ernest Lemons

Similar to his relatives throughout Hot Springs, Ernest Lemons grew up around the bathing industry but chose to join the Army, serving as a private during the Korean War. During his tour, he visited hot springs in Japan and told the national park "I've taken the baths when I was in Japan and it's nothing like it is here... the waters can't compare." After the war, Ernest and his brother Curtis began working in the bathhouses around town.

In 1986, Ernest Lemons joined the staff at the Buckstaff Bathhouse. The establishment made a promotional video in the 1980s where Lemons led visitors through the bathing process. His likeness reached untold numbers of interested people curious about the bathhouse, the national park, and the bathing industry in Hot Springs. Please enjoy a clip of the promotional video below!

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 32 seconds

Promotional video for the Buckstaff Bathhouse featuring bath attendant Ernest Lemons as he guides patrons and the audience through a typical bathing experience in the bathhouse.