Description: The original photograph was used in a newspaper article which was included on the back of the picture: "FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 1896 -- Crowd attends dedication of the wooden church as it nears completion in the summer of 1896, when the edifice was dedicated to the Lord and mankind. On July 4, 1914, the church was destroyed by one of the most disastrous fires in the history of Mineral Wells, when 34 residences and hotels, for two blocks east and west and four blocks north -- from Hubbard St. to N. W. 4th Street, burned --- every place from Hubbard north to 4th St. except the Tygrett home. The present church was constructed some two years after the wooden church burned, on the same site, corner Northwest 2nd Street and Northwest 4th Avenue. Perhaps some of the youngsters in the picture are still living in the community today. Picture made available by M. J. Graham from his file of papers and pictures on the history of Presbyterianism in this community. Until the present dome brick church was completed, the Presbyterians held Sunday School and church on the lower floor of the Odd Fellows building in the 200 block of ...

Description: Photo taken 1898 of Arthur Howard. The cap he is wearing identifies him as "ASST CHIEF." (He is believed to have been assistantt fire chief of Mineral Wells at that time.)

Description: The Hexagon Hotel, at approximately the time of its completion. This photo is a cleaned-up version by A.F. Weaver. (site is cleaned up and trash is removed.) The original photo, included in the A.F. Weaver collection, shows evidence of construction-related activity and debris along NW Holland St. (now NW 6th St.) Construction of the Hexagon House started in 1895, and it opened for business in December 1897. More than sixty years before air-conditioning became available, the building's design allowed maximum air circulation to ameliorate Mineral Wells' torrid summertime heat. A DC generating plant furnished power to an electric light in each room. It was the first electrically lighted hotel in Mineral Wells. The builder/owner, Mr. David G. Galbraith was the inventor of a paper clip, and, with five other men of the century, invented acetate.

Description: Color photograph of the Hexagon Hotel. Note the Convention Hall to the right (north) of the Hotel. The Convention Hall was built in 1925 to accommodate the West Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention, and was built over a portion of the foundation of the electric power plant of the hotel. The Hexagon House was torn down in 1959, and the Convention Center was demolished in 1977.

Description: Note on back of photo states, "1902, 1st Boy Scouts in Mineral Wells, organized by Frank Creighton (L) met in old Sangcura Sprudel Well Pavilion." Picture taken in front of Greens Transfer Building. Note military style stripes and guns. This historic photograph captures a precursor to the Boy Scout movement that started six years later, in 1908 in England, and spread to America in 1910 to generate an interest in outdoor and educational activities among teen age boys. Possibly a youth division of a local lodge.