French Lick Springs Hotel and former Indy Mayor Taggart

<p dir="ltr">There's a significant connection between a lavish resort hotel in southern Indiana and an Irish immigrant who became the mayor of <a href= "https://www.visitindy.com/"><strong>Indianapolis</strong></a> as well as a powerful political boss in the early 1900s. There's also a connection to a major amphitheater that was dedicated at <strong><a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Park_(Indianapolis)">Riverside Park</a></strong> in the summer of 2021 in honor of the colorful former mayor, who was known as the "father of the Indianapolis park system".</p> <p dir="ltr">The <strong><a href= "https://www.frenchlick.com/">French Lick Springs Hotel</a></strong> wasn't always lavish. In the 1840s, a modest hotel was built on the property in <strong><a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County,_Indiana">Orange County</a></strong> that's long been touted for its mineral springs that are said to have healing qualities.</p> <p dir="ltr">It took colorful <strong><a href= "https://indyencyclopedia.org/thomas-taggart/">Thomas Taggart</a></strong> (1856-1929), who bought the French Lick hotel after his three terms as Indianapolis mayor, to make it a showplace known for its spas, gambling, gardens, gourmet dining and distinguished guests. By then, Taggart, a Democrat, was a nationally known political boss. He eventually bought a summer home for his family on Cape Cod at Hyannis Port, where their next-door neighbors were the famous Kennedy family.</p>