On January 9, 1892, the NCO Railroad entered into a contract with Fresno, California developer, Silas N. Griffith, to plot out and promote the railroad’s new terminus of Amedee, on the east side of Honey Lake. Griffith was required to build a hotel, bath house and livery stable. In return, Griffith received 50% of sales of the property. It appeared Griffith’s mission statement was Big. Beautiful, Bold.
Griffith saw opportunity in the hot springs to make the new town, among other things a health resort. In late April 1892, it was announced the bath house, would be on the same scale as the Hotel Amedee under construction. In reality when the bath house was completed, it was a modest one-story structure.