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MINERAL WELLS,
TEXAS by Sam FenstermacherThe
town of Mineral Wells is at the intersection of Texas State Highways 180 and 281.
Highway 180, previously U.S. Highway 80, crosses the whole state of Texas
heading east and west. State Highway 281 crosses nearly the whole state, running
from Wichita
Falls to San Antonio. Before
the Interstate Highway System, Mineral Wells sat at the intersection of two major
routes of travel. Today, Mineral Wells sits at the intersection of two major routes
of road trip travel. |
| View
from the top of Penitentiary Hollow and Lake Mineral Wells at Mineral Wells State
Park. Photo courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
The
Mineral Wells State Park
The Mineral Wells State Park is located just a mile or two east of town. This
rugged terrain along Rush Creek was an early home to several Native American tribes
including the Comanche. Here you'll find camping, a nice lake, hiking trails,
rock climbing, and one of the largest stands of undisturbed Cross Timbers forest
in the region. Rock climbing is a popular activity in the Penitentiary Hollow
area of the park.
Visiting
Mineral Wells? Book Your Hotel Here & Save:
Mineral
Wells Hotels |
The
Baker Hotel
A fine hotel of 14 floors and 450 rooms, constructed
during the late 1920’s to take advantage of the town’s famed mineral wells. The
Baker reigned as one of the countries most glamorous hotels for 25 years.
It remained open until the late 1960’s when changing travel preferences and other
social and cultural changes caused a decline in business. |
Downtown Mineral
Wells Today the
Baker
stands as a landmark for downtown Mineral Wells. The old commercial district along
State Highway 281 (North Oak Ave.) is occupied by a wide variety of retail shops
and restaurants. You can walk and shop in the shadow of the old Baker
Hotel. |
| A
reprint of a 1940’s Crazy Water postcard I picked up at the Famous Mineral Water
Pavilion in Mineral Wells. It carries no copyright notice on the front or back.
- Sam
Fenstermacher |
The
Famous Mineral Water
In
1877 James Lynch and his wife Armanda settled on land that would eventually become
the town of Mineral Wells. After several years of hauling water four miles from
the Brazos River, they drilled a well in 1880. The Lynch family was initially
hesitant to drink their well water because they thought it was poisoned. Over
time they began drinking from the well, and an amazing thing happened: their health
improved substantially.
News of the curative powers of their water spread,
and Mineral Wells very quickly established its identity as a mineral water resort
town. National recognition resulted in explosive growth that shaped the development
of the town for several decades. During the 1930's the Great Depression and other
factors foreshadowed the end of the golden age of Mineral Wells. By the 1940’s
most of the mineral water companies had closed for lack of business.
Today,
very little from this gilded era remains. The Baker
Hotel resort and spa still stands, closed since 1972 and no better for all
the years it has stood vacant. Another landmark of the era is the Famous Mineral
Water Company Pavilion at 209 N.W. 6th Street.
The current Famous Mineral
Water Pavilion was built at this location in 1914. You can still enjoy a mineral
water at the old bar, and for anyone hesitant to commit to a full glass they have
free samples. An apothecary's cabinet at one end of the pavilion contains tools
and artifacts of the work of Ed Dismuke, founder of the Famous Mineral Water Company. |
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| Giant
bottle of mineral water in front of Famous Mineral Water Co. in Mineral Wells.
Photo courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
| Entrance
to garden at Famous Mineral Water Company pavilion in Mineral Wells Texas. Photo
courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
| Counter
inside Famous Mineral Water Company in Mineral Wells. Photo courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
| Ed Dismuke came to
Mineral Wells, as so many others did, seeking a cure for chronic health problems.
After being cured by the mineral water, Ed sold his business in Waco
and founded the Famous Mineral Water Company. Ed Dismuke was an avid promoter
of the mineral water. As a trained pharmacist Ed was able to derive additional
products from the water, for example Dismuke’s Famous Crystals and Dismuke’s Eyebath.
These products were sold nationally, for a time, during the heyday of mineral
water. |
| Texas
Historical Commission Medallion for Famous Mineral Water Company in Mineral Wells
Texas. Photo courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
Today they sell several
varieties of Crazy Water at the Famous Pavilion in Mineral Wells. These waters
come from wells in the area including the Crazy Well. Crazy Water gets its name
from a crazy woman believed to have been cured by the water of the Crazy Well
many years ago. The Famous Mineral Water Company wells are the only ones in town
still accessible to the public.
The Famous Mineral Water Company Pavilion
is an interesting stop. They stay busy selling mineral water, snacks, and other
merchandise. A good source of travel information for the area, they also tell
a great version of the history of Mineral Wells Texas.
Copyright
Sam
Fenstermacher
Visiting Mineral Wells? Book Your Hotel Here &
Save:
Mineral
Wells Hotels |
BAT WORLD
Mineral Wells is also
home to Bat World – a living Museum and rehabilitation center for orphaned
and injured bats which nest throughout Mineral Wells. Like Austinites, the citizens
of Mineral Wells have grown to appreciate their insect eating, pollinating friends.
Founded by Amanda Lollar, Bat World is an affiliation of B.A.T.S., the Beneficial
Animal Teaching Society, a non-profit organization. |
Elmwood Cemetery
in Mineral Wells |
| Old
Neon sign outside Mountaineer Bowling Lanes in Mineral Wells Texas. Photo courtesy
Sam
Fenstermacher, September 2008 |
| "Here
is a photo taken of the Grand Theatre in 1948 just after it was remodled. I worked
there as a teenager and later owned the building after it had closed. This is
one of 4 theatres that were open in the 1940's into the 1960's in Mineral Wells,
Texas..- Don Eichler, Center Point, Texas, September 14, 2006 |
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