[The Hexagon Hotel], Southside

Description

This photograph is a cleaned-up version, by A.F. Weaver, of the Hexagon Hotel, at approximately the time of its completion. (The site has been cleaned, and the trash removed.) Construction of the Hexagon Hotel started in 1895, and it opened for business in 1897, to ameliorate Mineral Wells' torrid summertime heat years before air-conditioning became available, its design was such that it could catch every vagrant breeze, and cool the hotel. A DC generating plant (seen behind and to the left of the hotel) furnished power to an electric light in each room. It was the first electrically-lighted hotel in … continued below

Creation Information

Creator: Unknown. 1897/1959.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: A. F. Weaver Collection and was provided by the Boyce Ditto Public Library to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 1742 times, with 6 in the last month. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

Who

People and organizations associated with either the creation of this photograph or its content.

Creator

  • We've been unable to identify the creator(s) of this photograph.

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this photograph as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this photograph useful in their work.

Provided By

Boyce Ditto Public Library

Located in Mineral Wells, the Library holds over 50,000 materials and is dedicated to providing free access and services for the community in a friendly and professional manner. Because of the work of the Boyce Ditto Public Library, residents of Palo Pinto County have access to books, online resources, events, and much more.

About | Browse this Partner

Contact Us

Corrections Questions

What

Descriptive information to help identify this photograph. Follow the links below to find similar items on the Portal.

Description

This photograph is a cleaned-up version, by A.F. Weaver, of the Hexagon Hotel, at approximately the time of its completion. (The site has been cleaned, and the trash removed.)

Construction of the Hexagon Hotel started in 1895, and it opened for business in 1897, to ameliorate Mineral Wells' torrid summertime heat years before air-conditioning became available, its design was such that it could catch every vagrant breeze, and cool the hotel. A DC generating plant (seen behind and to the left of the hotel) furnished power to an electric light in each room. It was the first electrically-lighted hotel in Mineral Wells. the plant was operational when the hotel opened. There was also a steam laundry and an ice house, as well. The ice house produced its first block of ice in 1903.
The builder/owner, Mr. David G. Galbraith (along with five other men) held the patent for acetate. Mr. Galbraith was a prominent cattleman from Colorado City, Texas. He came to Mineral Wells in hopes of curing a sever attack of rheumatism. He took the baths, and found that they helped him, so he decided to remain in Mineral Wells, and open a hotel.
The original photograph, included in the A.F. Weaver collection, shows evidence of construction-related activity and debris along NW Holland Street (now [2007]: NE 6th Street).

Subjects

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

Item Type

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this photograph in the Portal or other systems.

Collections

This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.

A. F. Weaver Collection

This colorful panorama covers Mineral Wells' founding and its mercurial growth as a resort center and army town to the present. Photos are from local historian and photographer A.F. Weaver, local families and research sources.

About | Browse this Collection

What responsibilities do I have when using this photograph?

Digital Files

When

Dates and time periods associated with this photograph.

Creation Date

  • 1897/1959

Covered Time Period

Coverage Date

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Nov. 28, 2006, 1:50 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Nov. 22, 2019, 10:25 a.m.

Usage Statistics

When was this photograph last used?

Yesterday: 0
Past 30 days: 6
Total Uses: 1,742
More Statistics

Where

Geographical information about where this photograph originated or about its content.

Place Name

Map Information

  • map marker Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
  • Repositioning map may be required for optimal printing.

Help Map this Photograph

Tell us if you know the precise location of this item. In the lower-left corner of map below, select either the pin () or the box (). Drop a pin or drag to create a new rectangle. Zoom and Pan the map as needed.

Mapped Locations

Interact With This Photograph

Here are some suggestions for what to do next.

Enlarge

Thumbnail image of item number 1 in: '[The Hexagon Hotel], Southside'.

Citations, Rights, Re-Use

International Image Interoperability Framework

IIF Logo

We support the IIIF Presentation API

Links for Robots

Helpful links in machine-readable formats.

Archival Resource Key (ARK)

International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)

Metadata Formats

Images

URLs

Stats

[The Hexagon Hotel], Southside, photograph, 1897/1959; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20301/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boyce Ditto Public Library.

Back to Top of Screen