[Casino at Elmhurst Park - 2 of 3]
Date: 1907 - 1913
Creator: unknown
Description: The Casino, facing the lake at Elmhurst Park is shown here. For more details about it, please see the other pictures.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20319/
[Barber Lake]
Date: c. 1900
Creator: unknown
Description: Many property owners in early Mineral Wells had their own water wells, but the city pumped water to a small standpipe on East Mountain for distribution to the city. When the wells became insufficient to supply the city's needs, Barber Lake was built in the Barber Addition - in the northeast part of town - as Mineral Wells' first city water supply lake. Around 1905, Cicero Smith and Ed Dismuke built a dam across Pollard Creek west of the city to form Lake Pinto, the city's next water supply. Barber Lake, the City's first municipal water supply, can still be found southeast of Cullen Grimes School (built in 1920 at 1800 NE 1st. Avenue as Barber School: the name was changed to Cullen Grimes in honor of a long-time principal when it was enlarged in 1942.)
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20387/
[Trolley Car of the] Mineral Wells Electric System
Date: 1907 - 1913
Creator: unknown
Description: A trolley car of the Mineral Wells Electric System. is shown here. Trolleys ran from 1907 to 1913, carrying passengers to Pinto Lake west of town, and to Elmhurst Park and Lake two miles southwest of town. Information about them, displayed here and in other photographs, was taken from A. F. Weaver's book "Time Was in Mineral Wells," second edition, page 84.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20351/
Commercial Hotel
Date: c. 1900
Creator: unknown
Description: The Commercial Hotel, one of the early hotels in Mineral Wells, was located on S. Oak Avenue, where the Mineral Wells Fire Department is now located. This picture may be found on page 101 of A.F. Weaver's book "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells."
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20318/
[LakeWood Park Scenic Railway, Dinky Car "Esther"]
Date: 1905-1909
Creator: unknown
Description: This photograph shows the "Dinky Car", Esther, that operated on The Mineral Wells Lakewood Park Scenic Railway to Lake Pinto from 1905 to 1909. The background indicates the picture was taken near Lake Pinto. This "Dinky Car" was one of two named "Esther" and "Susie" after local banker Cicero Smith's daughters. Banker Smith and Ed Dismuke, owner of The Famous Water Co., built the Scenic Railway. These little cars, powered by gasoline engines, ran every 15 minutes from Mineral Wells, around West Mountain, to Lake Pinto. A larger version, called the "Ben Hur", was added in 1908. Round trip cost 15 cents, and the cars ran on their own steel rails from 1905 to 1909. The Scenic Railway operation to Lake Pinto differed significantly from the trolley and tracks of the Mineral Wells Electric System. The trolley company served the City and ran some two miles southwest to Elmhurst Park and Lake between 1907 and 1913.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20397/
Cliff Home
Date: c. 1900
Creator: unknown
Description: The Cliff Home, an early Mineral Wells hotel, stood on NE 2nd Street (formerly Coke Street) just east of the head of NE 1st Avenue (formerly Mesquite Street), and the site of the 1912 "Old Post Office" (now the Women's Club.) The hotel burned down, and the Plateau Hotel was built in its place. That hotel, in time, became The Exchange Hotel. It was later converted to the Mineral Wells Sanitarium (or hospital) before it was finally torn down. The significance of the small "E" between "CLIFF" and "HOME" on the sign painted on the roof is unclear. The back of the photograph bears the name "Henry Sikes" (a banker in Graford, and probably the donor of the picture) written in ink, and a business stamp, "S.B. Hall, General Photographer." This picture is found on page 100 of A.F. Weaver's book "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells".
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20315/
Souvenir...Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department
Date: 1906
Creator: Robinette, Alan M.
Description: Shown here is the cover of a souvenir booklet about the Mineral Wells, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department,published in 1906.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth21927/
[Mineral Wells Advertisement]
Date: 1906
Creator: unknown
Description: A 1906 seasonal advertisement, compliments Central Texas Realty Association, depicts a young lady (An Art Nouveau goddess?) half-kneeling before a frame that suggests stained glass. She is holding a water jug, from which pours a stream of healing elixir that splashes into the lowermost center of the brochure. Decorative scrolls reminiscent of wrought iron sculpture decorate the advertisement. Stars, both in the advertisement and on the lady's tiara, hint that Mineral Wells is the City of Light. What appears to be a coffee stain shows at the upper left. Someone has penciled "1905" in the upper right corner.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29836/
Sangcura Sprudel Well
Date: c. 1900
Creator: unknown
Description: The Sangcura Sprudel Wells. On back of photograph is written: "Located at 800 N.W. 2nd Avenue." The building was later moved to 314 NW 5th Street. The porches were enclosed and it was turned into a rooming house. The building burned down in 1973.
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29821/
Carlsbad Well
Date: c. 1907-09-19
Creator: unknown
Description: This picture, dated September 19, 1907, shows the Carlsbad Well at 415 NW 1st Avenue, and west of the Crazy Well drinking pavilion. It was one of the first drinking pavilions in Mineral Wells, and boasted that the water "Makes a man love HIS wife, makes a wife love HER husband/ Robs the divorce court of its business/ Takes the temper out of red-headed people/ Puts ginger into ginks/ and pepper into plodders."
Contributing Partner: Boyce Ditto Public Library
Permallink:texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29816/