Natural Arrowhead Formation David Noble Smith Smith in 1864 In 1851, 500 Mormon settlers in 150 wagons arrived at the foot of the "arrow-marked mountain" seen in a vision of Brigham Young, and established the city of San Bernardino before continuing west to the Pacific. Some years later, David Noble Smith, a young pioneer in search of the perfect therapeutic waters around which to create his dream of a "hot springs infirmary," built the first known structures on the site and opened them to the public. Since that first sanitarium, three hotels with spas have been constructed at Arrowhead Springs over the years. Each reflected its era in style and function. David Noble Smith built the first therapeutic sanitarium using the geothermal mineral waters for healing. Guests in the 1800's and early 1900's enjoyed the "cienaga" mud baths and the hot spring mineral water. Hotel in 1895 Hotel in 1925