History of Harbin Part 2

At one time there were dozens upon dozens of hot springs resorts in Lake County. Harbin was one of the largest. Unfortunately, that area is subject to fires, which decimated many of the resorts. After they burned down, the owners often didn't have the capital to rebuild so that was the end of them. Some of the hot springs dried up after the 1906 earthquake and others declined in popularity after major highways were installed that bypassed their locations.

Harbin had several serious hotel fires, but survived them to rebuild and adapt with the times. At the turn of the century, a gymnasium was built on the premises and the resort became a popular place for fighters to do their summer training. Irish boxers came up from San Francisco's Mission District to undergo a conditioning regimen. Later, professional baseball teams did part of their summer training there. After the summer season was over, men's clubs arrived on the premises to hunt deer and other game.

In the twenties, with the widespread use of cars, Harbin became more accessible. One could motor up for a night or two instead of staying for months on end. There was a nightly jazz band, a bar and a dance hall on the premises. Many local associations met there, such as the Elks and the Masons. The place continued as a prosperous concern throughout the Depression and the Forties even though spas declined in popularity throughout the 20th century. People wanted something more modern and stimulating when they went on vacation.  Motor lodges and motels sprang up and Harbin had to compete with them for business so they built more cabins plus a hotel along the cabin model: two stories, each with a row of separate self-sufficient rooms that opened out to one long verandah.

In the fifties and early sixties (and with the advent of large chain hotels like Howard Johnson's as competition) Harbin's business began to decline. People could afford to travel further so they flew to other parts of the country or went abroad instead of making local trips. Harbin had always been a family-run business, which is why it survived so long, but the family couldn't make it financially anymore so they sold it off to an out-of-town buyer. After that, it fell into hippie hands and the premises deteriorated until the health authorities finally closed it down. Too much sex, drugs, and rock n'roll.  Finally, the resort was bought by its present owner and gradually regained respectability (sort of ) in its current New Age incarnation.