Warm Springs History

In 1909, an oil exploration team discovered an artesian well flowing with hot mineral waters. As the prospects of finding oil were poor and caving conditions prevented further drilling, the well was capped and forgotten until 1937 when polio was sweeping the nation, victimizing both children and adults. Eight Gonzales businessmen remembered the long forgotten well, and with the hope that the warm, mineral-rich waters could assist in the recovery of polio patients, established the Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation for Crippled Children in Ottine, Texas.

The first 16-bed hospital was opened for the treatment of polio in 1939. The 98.5-degree water bubbled endlessly from a large stone fountain in front of the hospital and was then pumped into a small pool. There, the children reaped its therapeutic benefits during prescribed physical exercise. In 1947, after an extensive fundraising effort, four more buildings were added to the campus, making Warm Springs one of the leading treatment centers for polio patients. Warm Springs was also the first polio treatment center to bring a revolutionary polio treatment technique to Texas. The Kenny Method, named after Sister Elizabeth Kenny of the University of Minnesota, promoted the use of hot packs and pool therapy instead of friction massage of the painful muscles. Patients continued to pour into Warm Springs from all over the state, and eventually a larger pool was installed outside the hospital.

The development of the Salk vaccine in the mid-1950s virtually eradicated polio in the U.S., and Warm Springs found itself facing the challenge of change. The hospital expanded its services to include treatment for people physically challenged due to illness or injury. Even with change, the Warm Springs philosophy remained the same - to give personal individualized treatment, helping every patient fulfill his or her potential to live as independently as possible.

In February 1962, the staff was informed that the hospital would close if additional funding was not found. In the months that followed, people around the state rallied to raise the money to save Warm Springs. Al Berry, a Gonzales businessman, traveled some 40,000 miles from sale barns to stock shows, auctioning off his sheep named Wando. These auctions raised $55,000.00. The Past Polio Patients Association, comprised mostly of young polio survivors, wrote letters and made speeches to civic organizations to raise money. These efforts caught the eye of then Governor Price Daniel's, who proclaimed that the state of Texas would not let Warm Springs close.

This tremendous support, symbolizing the Warm Springs spirit, not only kept the hospital open, but also sparked a renewal of growth and success. Education programs were developed for patients and staff, and Warm Springs became a leader in the field of rehabilitation care by implementing new concepts and treatments.

Today, the Warm Springs Rehabilitation System includes three hospitals offering both inpatient and outpatient services in Luling, San Antonio, and Victoria, as well as eight outpatient clinics located throughout South Central Texas, the Sports Program for People with Disabilities and the Resourcenter for People with Disabilities.

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