This 1925 claw-foot tub was located in a small cottage named the Green Onion in Nelscott, built in 1925 by the Anderson family. Since bathing facilities were scarce at that time, they decided to rent out the tub, charging 5 cents per bath. On many occasions bathers would be lined up around the block, towels and soap in hand, ready to take a bath.
The Green Onion got its name when party-goers draped a bunch of seaweed across the porch. One person commented that the bulbous parts looked like green onions and the Andersons stuck with that name for the cottage. Beverly Ulbricht purchased the cottage in 1986, and when she remodeled in 1992, she donated this historic tub to the museum. The cabin is still around today and continues to bear the name, Green Onion!
The Andersons on the front porch of the Green Onion in 1928:
The Andersons pose in 1928 with the Green Onion and the construction of an extra cabin they named “Try Me.”
The Green Onion in Nelscott Beach, first on the left:
Green Onion owner Alma Anderson:
A more modern view of the Green Onion:
This claw-foot tub represents a unique time in North Lincoln County history. As tourism began to ramp up in the late 1920s, the Andersons were creative and adapted to the needs of the coastal visitors. Thousands have used this tub over the decades, now retired and on display at the museum in our Green Onion exhibit.
