Soap Lake
Settlers moved into this region with the coming of the Great Northern Railroad in the mid-1880s. A sanitarium hotel capitalizing on the alleged therapeutic benefits of bathing in the lake's waters opened in 1905, and was quickly followed by several others. Soap Lake became a busy resort and health spa that attracted people from around the country, especially those with skin ailments, arthritis and rheumatism. Medical advances made these resorts less popular by the mid-20th century, and irrigation water seeping into the lake over time has altered its mineral content.
East Beach Park on SR 17 provides public access to Soap Lake. A notable feature in the park is a giant sundial called “Calling the Healing Waters.” The 15-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a Native American couple underscores the lake's importance to the region's first inhabitants. The male figure's outstretched wings serve as the sundial's pointer.