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[Lynch Plaza 3 of 3]
Lynch Plaza, in the center of this picture, is located on the corner of North Oak and East Hubbard Streets. This structure, originally called the Firstron Building, replaced the First National Bank at this location. The bank was located in the northwest corner of the Oxford Hotel. The hotel building, including the bank, was destroyed by fire in 1983.
[Lynch Plaza, 2 of 3, Different View]
No Description Available.
[The Mineral Wells Savings and Loan--and Lynch Plaza Parking Lot]
The Mineral Wells Savings and Loan was once located at 101 SE 1st Avenue. The Savings and Loan building, in this 1988 view (looking south down SE 1st Avenue), is in the left foreground on the southeast corner of Hubbard and 1st Avenue. Across SE 1st Avenue (to the right and west of the Savings and Loan) is the parking lot for Lynch Plaza. In the background, the next street south is SE 1st Street. The Dollar General store occupies the former Piggly Wiggly grocery store on the southeast corner of this next block (near the center of the picture), where Mineral Wells' first Post Office once stood. The Savings and Loan building was eventually torn down, and the First State Bank is now [2008] at this location.
[Lynch Plaza and Martin Building, Parking Lot ]
A parking lot for Lynch Plaza and the Martin Building is located at the corner of West Hubbard Street and SE 1st Avenue. The Berry and Associates Building is visible in the background.
[A View of NE 1st Avenue]
In this view of NE 1st Avenue, the Old Post Office Building is shown at the end of the street and at the left of the picture. It is now [2007] The Woman's Club. The Baker Hotel (apparently under construction) can be seen at the far right of the picture. The Southwestern Bell Telephone Company building in the center of the picture sits across NE 1st Street, and to the north of the Baker.
[The Mineral Wells Savings and Loan]
The Mineral Wells Savings and Loan was once located at 101 SE 1st Avenue. The First State Bank stands at this location as of 2008.
{The Dedication of W.P (Bill) Cameron Monument: Senator Tom Creighton Speaks]
Texas State Senator Tom Creighton delivers the keynote address at the dedication of a memorial marker to W.P. (Bill) Cameron at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse" Museum. Mr. Cameron was the Editor of the Mineral Wells Index newspaper, and an active and popular participant in local civic and social events. After his death, his family placed a marker in his honor at the museum. Members of Mr. Cameron's family are seated to the speaker's left, and the Junior High Ensemble, Director Vicki Carden, are on the museum steps behind and to the speaker's right, Please contact the collection webmaster if you recognize other persons in the picture. The marker has been removed, and its location is not known at this time.[see previous photographs for more details.] Very dimly visible in an enlarged photo, inside the open door of the museum, is an original five-pointed wooden star that decorated a gable of the historic Hexagon House Hotel.
[Dedication of Little Rock Schoolhouse" Museum: Senator Tom Creighton Addresses an Audience]
This is a picture of the dedication of "Little Rock Schoolhouse" Museum. [See other photographs for more details.] Senator Tom Creighton is shown addressing an attentive audience.
[Dedication of the "Little Rock Schoolhouse" Museum: A Marker is Unveiled]
A marker commemorating the conversion of Mineral Wells' first school to a museum. "The Little Rock Schoolhouse" was built in 1884, and though tuition was charged to the students to pay the teacher, the school building, itself, was built by the city. A granite marker to commemorate the conversion of the school to a museum was unveiled at this dedication.
[The Demolition of the First Baptist Church, 8 of 11: Frame of Building]
The second building of the First Baptist Church was built in 1920, and used until 1967. It was then demolished to build the third and current church on the same site. Please see photograph number 1 for details.
Crazy Water Hotel
Shown here is the front entrance of the Crazy Water Hotel, in the 100 block of NW 3rd Street. This entrance is into the hotel lobby with the front desk to the left. The "Crazy Water Crystals" radio show originated from the hotel lobby immediately to patron's right upon entering the hotel. A salesman convinced the hotel's owners, Carr and Hal Collins, that if they would advertise crazy water crystals over that "new-fangled" media, radio, that they could sell a boxcar-load of crystals a week. Carr sent his brother, Hal to Texas Quality Network (KTQN) to start a program that would make the crystals popular. By 1937, the Collins brothers were making about three million dollars by selling a boxcar-load of crystals each DAY! The idea of crystallizing the minerals in the water is probably not original, here. It is said that a person named Dunkle, who worked in the Piedmont Hotel, collected portions of mineral water that patrons of the hotel had not used , and warmed the water to put his aching feet in. One day, Dunkle was surprised to find that the water had evaporated, and the minerals had been left behind. He carefully collected the mineral residue, and sold it to Piedmont patrons at two dollars a bottle. Persons interested in more details are referred to Guy Fowler's book, "Crazy Water."
Crazy Hotel
The east side of the second Crazy Hotel in the 400 block of N. Oak Avenue is illustrated here. Across NE 3rd. street, to the left, is Renfro's Drugs (at 319 north Oak Street). The low building on the right is the Hotel's drinking pavilion, and has a sign on it proclaiming a public auction of homes, business sites and farm land to take place January 20-21-22. This is a rare view (from the North-East) of the north back side of the hotel. Cars, of the late 1930's, are double-parked and visible in the middle of the street along the east side of the Crazy. (Head-in angle parking in Mineral Wells was changed to parallel parking in 1938, shortly before America was drawn into World War II.)
[First Christian Church]
On the back of photograph is typed: THIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY, A. F. WEAVER 1901 N. W. 6TH AVENUE MINERAL WELLS TEXAS DATE JUL 27 1964. The First Christian church occupies the site of the former Gibson Well Park and Pavilion in the 700 block of NW 2nd Avenue (the address on the photograph was A.F. Weaver's home.) Some of the limestone used to build the church was donated by latter-day owners of the historic Rock Pens on Dillingham Prairie, where the first meeting of the Northwest Texas Cattle Raisers' Association was held in 1876. Oliver Loving's son, J.C. Loving, wrote a letter to northwest Texas ranchers after the meeting, inviting them to meet the following February in Graham, where the Association was organized. C.C. Slaughter, once the richest man in Texas, owned the Rock Pens at the time of the Stock Raisers' meeting.
[The Cumberland Presbyterian Church]
Shown here is a picture of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. On the back of picture is written "901 N.Oak [.] Sold to Church of Christ [.] Demolished and rebuilt." The streetcar tracks, which ran from 1907 to 1913 are visible on N. Oak in front of the church. The denomination takes its name from Cumberland Street, Philadelphia. A sub-sect of Presbyterianism--based on an Arminian interpretation of Calvinism--was begun at the church there. A Cumberland Presbyterian church is advertised as being in Newberry at the present [2014] time. The picture was taken before North Oak Avenue was paved in 1914. The Church of Christ still [2008] occupies this location on N. Oak Avenue.
Methodist Church - Baker Gardens - East Mountain
This photograph appears to be taken from a picture post-card, which includes the old Methodist Church, the Baker Hotel Garden, the Baker Water Storage Building, and the Welcome Sign on East Mountain. It is a rare view. The home of Druggist Dr. C. F. Yeager on NE 2nd Street in the picture was still standing at the time of this picture. During construction of his Hotel, Mr. Baker visited Hot Springs, Arkansas; and he was so impressed with the Arlington Hotel that he stopped building construction, and moved the hotel a block further west. He converted the basement, already built, into a swimming pool (only the second hotel known to have a pool at the time), and an underground laundry. The Methodist church has since been rebuilt, the water storage building has been removed, and the "Welcome" sign has been relocated further east to greet visitors from its new location overlooking Elmwood Cemetery.
Oak Street, Looking South
This picture shows the 100 block of what is now N. Oak Avenue, looking south. The "Palace Saloon" sign is still visible in 2008. The Palo Pinto County Courthouse Annex currently [2010] occupies the building that once housed Poston's Dry Goods (just down the street from the Palace Saloon). Please note the absence of trolley tracks--or the festoon of wires required to keep its power-line in place. The unpaved street dates the photograph prior to 1914, and probably prior to the previous picture.
Pat-Ike
An inscription at the bottom of the photograph reads "Pat--Ike." The "Ike" presumably refers to Ike Zablosky, who came from Russia to Philadelphia in 1890. He and his wife, Fanny Jaffee, later moved to Mineral Wells for health reasons where he became involved in the fur-and-hide business. Zablosky once described the northwest part of Palo Pinto County as a "'Possum kingdom"; hence the first flood-control lake on the Brazos River was named Possum Kingdom Lake. (The story is that it was named that by president Franklin Roosevelt himself.) Zabloski sponsored a local baseball team. He bought a Texas League franchise when it became available after he moved to Dallas. It was to become Dallas' first professional baseball team. He pioneered the founding of city farm teams and acted as umpire and coach. The man on the left side is Pat Moran, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Moran managed the Reds from 1919-1923.
US Army [Helicopter] 613210 [and Pilot]
A picture of a U.S. Army helicopter and pilot, taken at Ft. Wolters Army Base before the close of the fort in 1974. Ft. Wolters was home to a primary helicopter flight training school during the Vietnam War. In a war that featured helicopters, 70% of the helicopter pilots in the Vietnamese War received all or part of their training at Ft. Wolters in Mineral Wells. The Helicopter Pilots Association is the primary sponsor of the National Viet Nam War Museum being built near the airport in Mineral Wells. The museum currently contains a half-size replica of the Viet Nam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D. C., and a beautiful "Meditation Garden."
[Photograph of Lawrence J. Lincoln, Commanding Lieutenant General]
Photograph of Commanding Lieutenant General Lawrence J. Lincoln. He is in uniform, sitting at a desk with an American flag in the background. His uniform bears small emblems and awards, including his colors. On the back of the photograph are stamped, typewritten, and handwritten notes.
[General William C. Westmoreland meets with press]
Photograph of General William C. Westmoreland, Army Chief of Staff, meeting with some of the local press during his visit to Fort Wolters. General Westmoreland is in uniform, standing behind a podium with several microphones pointed towards him. On the wood-paneled wall behind him is a large, hanging insignia, reading, "Above The Finest."
[Photograph of Major General Robert R. Williams]
Head-shot of Major General Robert R. Williams, Director of Army Aviation. The Major General is in uniform and sits in front of a dark background. On the back of the photograph are typewritten notes, a stamp giving the Boyce-Ditto Public Library's address, and a handwritten note that reads, "60%."
[Photograph of L. J. Varnell, Jr., Mayor of Mineral Wells]
Photograph of L. J. Varnell, Jr., Mayor of Mineral Wells. Mr. Varnell is wearing a dark suit and tie and standing or sitting against a light backdrop. On the back of the photograph are a stamp giving the Boyce-Ditto Public Library address and handwritten notes, including one that identifies the photo's subject, and a stamp with the photographer's information.
Casino
A (gambling) Casino at Elmhurst Park was located in southwest Mineral Wells, Texas, at the turn of the twentieth century. The structure was a large stucco building facing Elmhurst Lake (created by a dam on Pollard Creek) in the foreground. The lake was sometimes referred to as "Pollard Lake." Elmhurst Park was served by the Mineral Wells Electric Railroad (Street Car), with whom it seemed to have had a symbiotic relationship; both came into existence about 1903, and both went out of business about 1913.
[The North Entrance to Elmhurst Park]
The entrance to Elmhurst Park, Mineral Wells is shown here. The number "7830" in the upper left portion of the picture remains unexplained. The park was a recreational spot for the resort city. The park was closed in 1913, when trolley service was discontinued for lack of customers. As a direct result, the casino no longer exists, being also a casualty of the state's reform of gambling laws. It is now the site of the city sewage disposal facility.
[A Women's Basketball Game at Elmhurst Park, Mineral Wells]
A women's basketball game (at Elmhurst Park, Mineral Wells, taken about 1910) is shown in progress here. A "Dancing Pavilion" is visible in the background. Please note the players' uniforms. This scene shows a battle for the rebound after a shot at the basket.
[The Delaware Hotel on fire]
The destruction of the Delaware Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas is illustrated here. The hotel was located at the corner of N. Oak Avenue and NE 3rd St. It was described at "Brick veneered." It was filled with guests at the time, many of whom narrowly escaped with their lives. the Louisiana House (damaged to the extent of$300, with no insurance), just across the street was described as "Damaged." The fire was fought by horse-drawn fire wagons and a pumper. Trolley rails visible in middle of unpaved street date the picture as being between 1907, when the street car began operations, and 1914 when the street was paved. A partly obliterated legend on the photograph declares that it was taken by "Ellis."
Site of the New Frost Building
Construction of Frost Building in Mineral Wells, Texas. A legend on the bottom reads: "Photograph by McClure." Some of the buildings illustrated here still [2018] survive.
Looking South on Mesquite Street
A street scene, identified as Mesquite Street (now NE 1st Avenue)and looking south, taken at the turn of the twentieth century, shows businesses that antedate the coming of the automobile. On the right, in the middle of the picture, the Yeager Building is shown with a stone lion mounted on its roof. Many historians now refer to this building as the Lion Drug Store. However, current Yeager descendants now living in Mineral Wells do not remember the store as ever being named anything but The Yeager Drug Store. The third building on the left (with the spire on top) was the Star Well whose manager, Frank Richards was an active participant in Mineral Wells' early business and social activities. At the end of the street is Mineral Wells depot built in 1902. Absence of the "Dinky Car" tracks in the middle of the street indicates that the picture was taken prior to the building of the Mineral Wells Lakewood Park Scenic Railway in 1905.
[Two Men and a Woman]
This picture shows two unidentified men and a woman, standing near a bosc. The photograph is believed to have been taken during construction of the road up Wynn Mountain east of Palo Pinto (prior to construction of the Bankhead Highway, which was built following passage of "Good Roads Act" in 1916.)
Petroleum Products, The Texas Company
This is a picture of truck number D-677, bearing the identification of Texaco Petroleum Products, The Texas Company. A woman sits in the cab of the truck. The truck itself seems to date to about 1912.
Oak Street , Looking South
We have here a picture of Oak Street, looking South. The Poston Company and the Palace Saloon are easily visible in photograph. The wording "Fishburn Dallas" appears on the photograph. The unpaved street, several horses and wagons in picture date the picture to an era before 1914, when the street was paved.
[People in a Parade]
A buggy is shown here, filled with people dressed in what appears to be fashions from the 1920's. The buggy wheels are decorated for a parade and the buggy itself has the name "T. J. Green" on it. The location appears to be in front of the Gibson Well in the 700 block of NW 2nd Avenue, now [2008] the location of the First Christian Church.
[North Oak Avenue Street Scene]
A street scene of North Oak Avenue, looking north from Hubbard Street, taken about 1930, includes businesses as: Palace Drug Company, Owl Book Store, American Cafe, Poston Dry Goods, Max Miller's Shoe Store, Caldwell Hotel, Texas Power and Light, Bath House and Crazy Water Hotel. Please note that the street has been paved, and a traffic light is present.
[A Parade in 1925]
A military contingent of the 1925 West Texas Chamber of Commerce Parade in Mineral Wells is shown here. The parade is proceeding west in the 100 block of NE 2nd Street. Please note the Mineral Wells Sanatorium in the upper right of the photograph just east of the old Post Office. Please note also the double line of angle-parked automobiles on the street.
[The West Texas Chamber of Commerce Parade, 1925]
The West Texas Chamber of Commerce Parade, moving west on NE 2nd Street in Mineral Wells is shown here. The parade was staged to welcome the 1925 Convention. Businesses include R. O. Norman and Company, Dry Cleaners; the Whatley-Maddox Motor Co (Ford and Lincoln); the Mineral Wells Sanitarium; and the United States Post Office.
[The Palo Pinto County Fair Parade of 1912]
The Palo Pinto County Fair Parade of 1912 is shown, with a horse-drawn float, more horses, an automobile and people in parade. The "Queens Float" featured Queen Apolline Dow of Oran. The outriders were Ferdinand Dow, Ernest Clark, John T. Bowman. Maids of Honor were Alma Herndon, Carrie Stephenson, Ruby Johnson, Mae Belle Smith, Nina Mae Haynes and Cleo Frost. The parade is shown moving south in the 200 block of North Oak Street. (Please note the tracks of the trolley system, which operated from 1907 to 1913.)
Street Parade / West Texas C. of C. Convention / Mineral Wells 1925
A parade on North Oak Avenue in Mineral Wells, Texas is the subject of this picture. Businesses partaking of it include Poston Dry Goods, a bath house, the Hexagon Hotel, Palace Drugs, American Cafe, and the Caldwell Hotel. American flags, Texas flags, and various banners are hanging from the buildings. The parade is moving south (while the picture is looking north) on N. Oak Avenue, at its intersection with SE 1st Street It was held during the West Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention of 1925. The photograph bears the colophon of the Basil Clemens Photo Company of Breckenridge, Texas.
On the Broadway of America Highway, Mineral Wells, Texas
The title on the Picture states, "On The Broadway Of America Highway, Mineral Wells, Texas." This picture shows a section of the Bankhead Highway, looking east where the main road to Millsap descends from the mountain on which the Mineral Wells Airport stands. Once identified as part of US Highway 281 south of town [Mineral Wells], it overlooks much of the scenery viewed from "Observation Point",at one time called one of the most scenic vistas in the state. The Bankhead Highway was America's first transcontinental highway, starting at Mile Zero on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D. C. It terminated in San Diego, California, and was named for Senator John Hollis Bankhead, head of the Good Roads Movement. It was once labeled "The Broadway of America." The road was approved by Congress in 1916, but construction was delayed by World War I. Hundreds of miles were built in the 1920's when it crossed Palo Pinto County. Mineral Wells' main streets, Hubbard Street and SE 6th Avenue were part of the Bankhead Highway. Hollis Bankhead was the grandfather of Broadway Actress, Tallulah Bankhead. His brother ran a Drugstore in Gordon, Texas, with the proud motto: "The best is none too good for our customers." The drugstore also advertised, "Everything from the cradle to the grave", selling products ranging from baby food to coffins.
NW 6th Street-1906
A legend on the photograph announces: "NW 6th Street: 1906." It shows two children on donkeys and a horse and wagon. The view is west from Welcome Mountain (now East Mountain.) It appears that the old McCutcheon home (now [2008] the Gil Hull home) can be seen on the right at 612 NW 6th Street.
Moore Street [Now NE. 6th Street]
A view of Moore Street (now [2008] NE 6th Street) is shown here, looking east up Welcome Mountain, with the Hexagon Hotel on the left side of the street near the middle of the picture.
[The Budweiser Clydesdale Team]
A scene in the 200 block of North Oak, looking towards the south on Oak Avenue, taken in the 1930's is illustrated here. (Shadows indicate the picture was taken in the early morning.) The Budweiser Clydesdale team was introduced to the public in 1933, and is shown here along the 200 block west. The "CRAZY" sign that spanned Hubbard Ave. (now [2016] US Highway 180) a block behind the Clydesdale team was erected in 1933 also, probably later in the same year the picture was taken. A two-story garage/office building, the former Seaman's Pontiac Agency (still standing in 2010) is visible alongside the Anheuser-Busch beer wagon. Other businesses noted are: Dr. M. S. Green, Chiropractor; Kay's Cafe. The prominent building behind the Clydesdale team is still standing at the corner of Hubbard Street and Oak Avenue. Advertising signs are also noted: Texaco, Mobilgas, and a sign on the seaman's building for Crazy Water Crystals.
[A View of Mesquite Street, Mineral Wells]
An early scene of Mesquite Street (now [2008] NE 1st Avenue) looking North toward old U.S. Post Office from the corner of East Hubbard Street, after a rain? Electrical lines are present as are cars and trucks typical of the post-1914 era, when the streets of Mineral Wells were paved. The cornerstone for the Post Office was laid in May, 1912. The building on the near right housed Campbell's Bargain store. It occupied the site of the current Baker Hotel (Opened in 1929.)
[Mesquite Street, Looking South]
Shown here is a view of Mesquite Street (Now [2008] NE First Avenue) from its upper end at Coke Street (now NE 2nd Street). Horse-drawn vehicles are present. The building at the left middle of the picture with the "DRUGS" sign and the stone lion statue on its roof is the Yeager Building, home of what was popularly called "The Lion Drug Store." The first building on right, 205 NE First Street (with arched windows) was H. M. Coleman's clothing store for men, which even at this early date, appears to be undergoing renovation.
[Paving East Hubbard Street in Mineral Wells]
A group of men work on paving East Hubbard street in Mineral Wells. Electrical lines are present. Street paving in Mineral Wells began in 1914. On the right is the Richards House. Behind the house is Lamar Flats water pavilion, now [2008]the site of the Baker Hotel.
[People in an Automobile]
An automobile is shown here, decorated for a parade. The occupants of automobile are obviously dressed for the special occasion. The photograph is a view looking south on Oak Avenue at First Street, in downtown Mineral Wells. The ghostly images in the picture remain unexplained.
[A Sporting Event]
A group of people watching a pole-vaulting event is shown here. A vaulter goes over a crossbar set at approximately 10 feet in this picture. The covered area in the background is the Dance Pavilion at Elmhurst Park (also the site of the Palo Pinto County Fair at this early date). Two ladies, with their backs to the camera, at the rear of the crowd wear ladies' basketball uniforms of the day. The horse and buggy were a standard mode of transportation at this time--about 1910.
[A Group Picture]
A picture of a large group of attendees at the Mineral Wells Annual Fair is shown. The picture was taken in the early 1900's at the Dance Pavilion at Elmhurst Park.
[The Mineral Wells Fair of 1908]
Farm products, such as home-canned food items, fresh produce, and plant specimens are displayed here, within the Dance Pavilion at Elmhurst Park at the 1908 Mineral Wells Annual Fair, a Palo Pinto County Fair exhibit.
Oak Street, Mineral Wells, Texas
This picture purports to show North Oak Avenue,(the photograph reads "Oak Street")of Mineral Wells, Texas,in the 100 block--looking north. The Mineral Wells Electric Railway operated from 1907 to 1913, and streets were paved in 1914. Visible are: A horse-drawn hack with passengers, a streetcar, automobiles, numerous people on sidewalks, and businesses along the street. The streetcar (Apparently working on air: The electric line required to power it is nowhere in sight)is passing the Poston Dry Goods store on its right. The Hexagon Hotel (opened December 1897)is possibly visible in the distance. A steeple is barely visible on the skyline at the left (west) side of the street.
[A Man with a Catfish]
An unknown man is pictured holding a catfish that he has presumably caught. An embossed legend at the base of the picture states that the photograph was taken by Young's Photography, Mineral Wells, Texas. (Palo Pinto County held the Texas record in 2005 for a catfish. A ninety-six-pound monster was caught at the outflow of Morris Sheppard Dam on Possum Kingdom Lake.)
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