William Elliott


Located on what is today, Strong Street, Elliota Springs or White Sulphur Springs was initially discovered by area Native Americans. Riverside Colonist Dr. James Greves bought the property in 1876 and 10 years later sold it to William Elliot from Aurora, Illinois.

The hot sulfur springs fed a pool that attracted Hollywood celebrities who would lodge at the Mission Inn and be ferried to the hot springs in carriages. Luminaries included Buster Keaton and Houdini, who once performed the rescue of a girl in a locked box at the bottom of the pool. Filming of swimming scenes in movies was frequent, as moviemakers prized the clarity of the water.

The original 125-foot deep well Elliot sank to feed the spring proved inadequate for the crowds, and Elliot built a second 370-foot deep well. Using a pump, he was able to draw as much as 200,000 gallons a day and in the early 1900s, he began bottling and selling 70,000 gallons per week around the Los Angeles area.

In the late 1930s, Frank and Clifford Herron bought the property and converted it to a modern sanitarium and health resort until the 1940s. It was revived in 1959 by a new owner for a few years but was abandoned and eventually fell victim to a fire in 2005.