Mineral Wells, The Next Great North Texas Weekend Destination
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- Mineral Wells is one of the most fascinating small towns in Texas. From mineral water with healing powers to grand abandoned hotels this town has much to offer the curious mind. I had a blast walking the streets here, and I hope you enjoy my footage.
#texas #history #texashistory #historic #historical #historicalarchitecture #architecture #texasculture #culturalheritage #mineralwells #crazywater #northtexas #northtx #abandoned #abandonedhotel #bakerhotel
As an army brat my dad was stationed here
Made me love
Texas for the rest of my life
I'm 69 now and.ready for our 50 year class reunion. Cant wait for June
Ft Walters was my life for 4 years. Fantastic
69 now and spent 32 years in Ga
I'm back in Temple Tx now for a small period of time. So love Texas
I am from Temple and left there at 24 years old. Been in North Texas since.
Was there 1959... camp Walther. Later Fort Walther. Lived on Patrick street.
Looking at my 45th.
I was born two weeks after Beach Army Hospital opened, snuck in a couple years back. Got a picture of me in uniform at age one.
Our family lived in Mineral Wells from 1966-1972. We owned a laundry 0.2 mile from Fort Wolters (closed in 1973), Wes-Tex Laundry & Cleaners, which catered almost exclusively to the large military population. I was a paper boy for the Mineral Wells Index. I had the "coveted" Rt. 6, the downtown area, so hand-delivered the Index to The Baker and The Crazy Water Hotel, among other businesses. My buddies and I knew every inch of the common areas of the Baker, and we sneaked into the areas that were closed off. I remember a private elevator that serviced only a few floors of the hotel; it was not running. The hotel did not have automatic elevators. All were manned by elevator operators, which is why my crew never took them, preferring to take the stairs so we could explore at will. The hotel closed in 1972. I still remember sitting on a couch in the lobby, chatting with the owner of the hotel. There was a scrapbook on a table, with pictures and stories of the famous people who stayed there. I wonder what happened to that scrapbook. It must be worth lots today. I also "threw" the paper at The Busy Bee, a downtown honkytonk. I used to get plenty of tips at Christmastime! Nice video. Brought back lots of memories.
Thank you for sharing your story. Someone with your insight could probably tell the story better than I did. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing how the renovations turn out.
Nice comment -- added depth to the video tour.
I threw the paper, remember Mr. Jackson for the Star Telegram? I had the downtown walking route.
There are so many towns and places across this country with so many interesting stories and histories that you just want to spend several years meandering and moseying to see what you can see. Visiting towns off the beaten path is finding out about America.
Hello everyone! I am from India and my loving friends or may call parents live in mineral wells, and for the first time, I am getting a chance to come there by this year. They are wonderful people, they are helping me with my higher education. I can't wait to see this place. I am here writing and tearing seeing this place. Whoever there reading let's meet up if possible. I love to see you all. Thank you for showing me this beautiful place.💛🧡
@@HelicopterDad-xk5sx Many thanks for writing. Don't worry! I will not stay longer 😁🥰
Between I am yet to come. Due to some unavoidable reasons, I couldn't be there last 2 years. 🙇♀️🥰
As someone from mineral wells, this makes me so happy to see our town back on the map! Check out our local business and art walls along with the famous baker hotel! Keep an eye out for a new bakery as well!
My family is from there. Trevino, Davilla, Perez, Salazar families
Can’t wait
I have not been to Mineral Wells since my youth. This video makes me want to visit it again.
Born and raised in Mineral Wells. It's a great town.
This city has done a good job keeping itself alive. Kudos for the murals on the buildings, the gardens, parks, rails to trails and the brave souls working on restoring the Baker and other hotels.
People that want to piss on the town never knew it before the base closed & the population was cut in near half. It was a going Jessie when I was a boy.
I purchased packing material from a place just west of Mineral Wells some years ago. I had never been that far west. I remember as I was driving, i could see what appeared to be a large structure in the distance. As i got closer I could see it was a building. It just looked to out of place as there was nothing else like it in size. When I finally got close enough and actually drove by it I was amazed at how this huge cool looking old building was in this small town. I sure would have loved to explore it before restoration began. I believe I read that the owners also had a hotel in Dallas as well. One of these days I'll have to go back.
The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells has been closed for years. Construction began in 1927 and the doors opened in 1929 as part of the Baker Hotel chain. Mr Baker had many hotels around Texas such as Dallas, San Antonio, Galveston, etc. Thank goodness a South Lake investment group had a passion to start restoring the hotel a couple of years ago. She is truly beautiful and worth saving!
This town is on my bucket list! We'll probably be there in June if we are able to squeeze it into our schedule.
Nothing to do there boring
@@alfredoalcantar8691 some of us out there like boring especially if one is always on the go with a busy schedule all the time. I'll take boring whenever I can help it.
Oohh no is not boring at all... it's a lovely town very "mid-century" looking!!
@@alfredoalcantar8691 Welcome Mountain is behind the Baker Hotel, I use play around it before they moved it.
@@alfredoalcantar8691 You must not like history or the TV show F-Troop or the Hollywood sign.
Nice job. We really like Mineral Wells. Just went camping at the state park last month. Congratulations on your channel's quick success!
Thanks man. My channel had tremendous growth for a little while but has actually recently collapsed in terms of daily views. It seems as though one of my recent history videos may have triggered the downturn. I try to stay as neutral as possible. I've been putting out what I felt was some of my strongest content so far. Maybe CZcams doesn't like me anymore.
@@secretsoftexas6872 there is no telling with the algorithm. I'm sure it'll pick back up. It's crazy how certain videos do really well and others are not promoted as much. I see the swings in views, subscribers, and revenue constantly. And for what seems like no reason.
Wow, cute town. Definitely will visit... re-watching the video and really appreciate the architecture of the old buildings.
This is why I subscribed to this channel. I have been through Mineral Wells so many times but just passed through mostly. Never knew there was so much to appreciate about this town! Glad to see the Baker is FINALLY being remodeled. Been rumored for almost 20 years now!
I was born and raised in Weatherford, Texas which is 17 miles from Mineral Wells. Great city ~ years ago and today still most interesting. Great little city. Have friends who used to live there.
I’m lucky to live in the neighboring town, so I’m always going to Mineral Wells!
Weatherford?
Cool
@@texan-american200 yes, Weatherford.
I love your videos so much. I'm currently living in NYC, but was raised in College Station and graduated from A&M. Your videos give me a little slice of home and now I cant wait to go explore some of these small towns!
You should organize the videos on your channel into regions and/or themes. Like West Texas, Hill Country, Pan Handle, Small Towns, Outdoor Adventures, Ghost Towns, etc!
Thanks I'll look into that
So happy to hear the Baker is being restored and will someday reopen. I thought it may have been beyond repair, but miracle really do occur.
Thanks for sneaking in the window💫I really enjoyed seeing the original inside💫💯
I never knew how it would pay off several years later. I only wish I had explored more of the building.
Another excellent video! Love the model railroad at the end. Reminds of a similar railroad garden combo they have at the State Fair of Texas.
My parents spent their honeymoon there in 1932, I checked the place out about 5 years ago on a trip through that area. Glad it's being brought back to life.
Love that older style architecture...nice clean lines and looking pretty stable...lots to take the eye and discover...thanks for sharing!
My father broadcast from the roof of the Baker during the 40s. I’ve sneaked in there, too. The old ballroom was awesome. One thing Mineral Wells needs is some interesting restaurants. Never found anything to eat there but fast food
Lets hope that the investment pays off and it attracts more quality businesses. DFW is a giant just up the road that may flock there.
I grew up here in Spa City....
(* Yes, was once "called Spa City)
Not just the two BIG hotels, but I recall even the smallest ones(tried to buy the Jerome Hotel, but they tore it down too I started a long Radio career (for pay) at the studio in the N. W. Corner of the ground floor. I'm a product of Thelma Does.(The best local historian and writers of local history)
I danced in that ballroom, modeled for George's Men's Shop, and hid out with elevator operators when I worked at the pool.
Maybe a book someday or a blog .....I'm retired, I'll think on that...later.
To make clear-
...was "called" Spa City, not named.
There was Jones Drive-In, great lunch specials.
@@jimmyharrison1864 Mineral Wells was called Miserable Wells
I was just thinking that you should go to Mineral Wells! Ha how interesting that you uploaded this video.
Father was stationed at Fort Wolters back in the 1960s, he actually retired there and bought a small farm. I loved it there, so much exploring to do on Fort Wolters and OLE FT Wolters. Great memories. Dad eventually sold the farm and we moved to Alabama of all places and then he drug the family to Mississippi, as soon as I came of age I joined the Army and like dad retired 20 years later at age 38. Ended up putting roots in the DFW area and starting my own business, my wife opened her own business and continues to run it. I sold right before COVID and am still counting my money. Life was good, Mineral Wells was a big part of it.
I liked your "Secrets of Texas" very much. Thank
Thanks for sharing
When I was a Combat Controller back in the 80s, we were regularly sent to Mineral Wells to run a dropzone for the C-130s on old Ft. Wolters. When we drove in from Dyess AFB, we'd go through near endless empty road until the abandoned Mineral Wells hotel would pop up, showing our destination.
We'd stay at the Holiday Inn, where near the pool entrance, were two helicopter blades planted in the ground in cross swords fashion with a small sign affixed on top of that reading, "THROUGH THESE BLADES WALK, THE GREATEST HELICOPTER PILOTS IN THE WORLD." I learned a little nickname where the stationed copter trainees would jokingly called the town, "Miserable Wells," probably for the lack of nightlife.
We found a nearby bar, very likely long gone by now, run by a terrific old couple where the husband had wall to wall military memorabilia in the bar that he collected through the years asm he was a long time Army Aviation veteran. We always went there after that and he'd have near endless story's about his time in the Army which we always enjoyed with their excellent bowl of venison chili and beers that they served us. We must've turned that bar around, which sadly I forgotten the name. I only remebered that it was an aviation nickname that he gave it, which drew me there in the first place. When I first visited, they seemed tired at the time but became very animated when I brought the rest of the crew with me and after that, we'd always stopped in when we were sent there to run airdrops at Ft Wolters.
Fun fact, he told us that the base was the largest helicopter training base in the world when the Vietnam War was going on.
I haven't gone through all your videos yet, did you cover nearby Weatherford?
Mom's boy friend was an instructor during the war.
So glad to hear they are going to reopen the hotel. I hope they keep most or as much as possible the original features
I was there this last weekend for the 2nd time. I love this small town! Great video by the way!😊
You need to go back to these gardens in late April early May when the blooms come out!
The old Hotel you featured in your video was designed by the same people that designed the Arlington Hotel in Hot Spring Arkansas. So happy to see the Minerals Wells Hotel being restored.
.
I have so many photos of the baker hotel.
Beautiful on the outside. But the inside is really really bad.
Such a shame. But will be nice to see it restore and reopened
I live in Parker county next door to Mineral Wells. I love the Baker and enjoyed your old pictures from inside. I have enjoyed all your videos. Thanks for showing us different parts of Texas.
WOW!!!! Those pics you took in that old hotel are epic!! and with the music it made me feel I was fixing to watch a scary movie.
It was an amazing experience back then. In hindsight, I wish I had explored more of the hotel and taken more pictures.
Awesome video & Mineral Wells will definitely be added to my list of places to visit in Texas. Have you done a video that highlights botanical gardens in Texas? I'm still working my way through all your really informative videos. Thank you for taking the time to share all The Secrets of Texas.
The post office was our Boy's Club as a boy & in the basement we held CB radio club meetings. Across from the post office, that building is at least as old as 1921, my doctor's office when I was five in 1962. The little building next to it was my friend's bicycle repair shop Kyle Spears.
Crazy Water #4 is my favorite. Real nice video!
Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again soon.
From what I could tell, Mineral Wells looks pretty tidy and not down at the heels. The parks were well kept and I especially liked that opening shot from the hills looking down at the city. I used to live in Dallas during the 1970s, I was in in high school with no car so I never got to see a lot of Texas. I've been back to Texas since then and now I realize how much there is to see. I'm glad I came upon your videos. It whets my appetite to come back and travel aimlessly across the length and breadth of the Lone Star state. I've lived in Chicago these past forty four years, but, I lived five and half years in Texas so I'll always be an honorary Texan! Good videos Sir.
There are secret passageways in the Baker that lead to various rooms by stairs and there is a tunnel under the street that ran to the bank.
Great video. They just get better and better. I really want to do a follow up video to show the late April color that you missed. This one really inspired me to go where you go.
Super video👍
Great video
I love that crazy water drink every day lol
Love this! My Aunt had a ranch in Weatherford and we would visit her and they always talked about Mineral Wells but I had no idea there was so much to see! I’m in the Dallas area now and I plan to make a day trip here soon! Thank you!
Lived in mineral wells three years my stepfather was stationed there had great times on welcome mountain and ball mountain went to the old high school that burn down
Bonnie & Clyde danced at the Baker.
Really enjoyed the video ! Definitely want to go there !!!
If you’re interested in what the Baker Hotel used to look like, take a look at the Arlington hotel in Hot Springs Arkansas. It was a favorite of the Mob back in the day.
Also a must for me every time I’ve been is Lake Mineral Wells State Park and go to penitentiary hollow ( you’ll think your not in Texas) and after my little adventure I go to woodys bar and grill and get a solid good burger (cash only) a nice family bar atmosphere.
You might ponder mentioning the Fort Wolters helicopter training school as it was huge during the Vietnam era.
Sweet
I'm from Coleman county. The friendliest towns in TX.
Ballenger is not far
They have the weirdest way of labeling their streets. Once you visit take noticed.
Just stopped there on the 21st of March 2022 after having visited in 2020. Bought some Crazy Water and a few stickers. It was a Monday, so unfortunately many interesting shops were closed. I had no idea about Fort Wolters or any of the other attractions nearby. I plan on spending more time there in the future.
I just drove through there yesterday. If only I know I would have stopped and picked up a few bottles of crazy water
Live there as a child from 59 To 61 loved it had good friends great teachers hot place I would love to go back one day pretty girls played on welcome mountain
I’m gonna visit soon. Do two nights at the haunted bnb and two nights at the hotel.
The Baker was on my paper route, I delivered to KORC Radio & then to an old woman half way up the Baker. Mom worked at the coffee shop as a girl.
I started a life long radio career there. Veg.cook at 15 & life guard for a summer then did my first radio show there
I had a friend who lived in mineral Wells but his family had been in mineral Wells for a long time I think his grandmother used to have a trolley car diner when I went to visit him it was in very poor shape and collapsing deteriorating it was cool to see lost touch don't know where he is now
Well Done! You forgot to mention Lake Mineral Wells State Park.
I made a separate video about that
Do Olney Texas
Why, it looks like there was a war and they lost. It seems like a poor burned out west Texas town.
Is there anyway to access the Springs in the area ?
I read it was blocked off.
The water is from Wells not springs .There are many Wells capped. Even more lost to time. At the peak over 220 Wells in the "district".
The water is not spring water. It's well water. Pumped by pumps.
#1. Shallow
#4.the deepest with just a trace of lithem.
Are the Blue Bonnets blooming yet?
They are. A bunch of them are blooming in our front yard right now.
End of March to Mid April 💕 lots....
My wife’s sperm donor had an electronics repair shop a block away from the Baker. As a teenager she snuck into the Baker and checked out some of it. She said the smell of bat guano was really strong.
11:45 Best part Of Mineral Wells!
Nine miles North is the remains of Oliver Loving's ranch if you know Lonesome Dove.
They torn the house down.🤯
Never got to see it but the caretaker pointed out places there & their purposes. @@jimmyharrison1864
4:23 The name "Pronto-Lax" sounds... alarming. "Who knows what it might do for you," indeed!
Can someone tell me if crime is high in this city? Please and thank you
When i lived here it was awful. Full of crackheads. Needles and drugs on the ground all over town. Especially near the little gazebo near downtown. Roads will mess up your suspension quick they are awful. Hope they get that cleaned up.
The way this area is growing it will not be long before people start moving to mineral wells and driving to the DFW area
You didn’t show the haunted hill house. Back in the day it was a brothel and the rich people that stayed at the baker would walk there. It has 9 spirits there and very active. The old high school burned not to long ago. I took my daughter to Clark gardens to take pictures of her and we were ran off the property cause they said pictures were not allowed.
What?! Not cool (Clark Gardens)
@@secretsoftexas6872 Right, that’s what I thought.. I was disappointed and have not been back.
Don't forget the fossil park.
Fort Walter army base was closed in the mid 70's
First armpit west of Ft.Worth.
sad place...born there, went back 50 yrs later and actually left depressed....it's as if the place never left the 1960s....Mineral Wells was an important Army Aviation training post and many of the pilots who trained there went on to Vietnam (thousands of them died there). Eventually the Army Aviation Center moved to Ft Rucker near Dothan, Alabama.
I became a helicopter pilot in Mineral Wells and after advanced training in Alabama went to Vietnam where many of my class mates died in combat and accidents during fouls weather.
When I had a weekend off, during my training I would go to the Baker hotel for breakfast. I just loved the service staff there and the ambiance of this old hotel. That was in early 1966. When I returned from Vietnam I was an instructor pilot in Mineral Wells for 2.5 years. My wife and I were living in Weatherford TX.
The chapel you mentioned was where many pilots were married along with the locals. The local Dairy Queen was a major hangout on weekends during pilot training, showing off their new cars and looking for a date.
The local car dealerships made a great living by the the troops at Ft. Wolters including student pilots who had the money to do so.
I purchased a used Oldsmobile from a family that had a Vietnamese student living with them, and when he left they sold me the car for a good price.
I'm surprised and happy they are restoring the Baker Hotel. As of last year there was no talk of that happening just rumors. If it is restored and I'm still able, I will make arrangements to stay at the hotel.
Thanks for your excellent video.
Drink a bottle of "Crazy Water " and I promise you, you will never forget it.
One of the schools burned down not so long ago.
Fyi
Clark Gardens is in Parker county. Not in Mineral Wells. Close by yes but not a Minersl Wells feature any more than Cherry Park is.
Is literally like 1 mile from the edge of the city limits
Palo Pinto/Parker county line is near "Woody's " bar n grill. Near is still not in Mineral Wells. Beautiful place. We've been there many times. I dont think they have a ghost yet though.
I thought they already started demo on The Baker...
It cant be imploded or exploded. It would be very expensive to tear down brick by brick. I know this building well, have been involved in many ways. It's beautifully made, very sound. She needs some make up and new clothes, some up dating.
Thank God🙏, it's finally happening.
@@jimmyharrison1864 No, I mean demo in the sense of clearing it out and renovating it. I thought the renovation had started is what I was refering to
@@smug8567
renovation is well underway.
She looks better everyday. I love seeing the lights on in the hotel at night. I worked for different jobs there when I was young. I was the local agent trying to sell it in the mid- late 80s, I've been all through it thru the years.
I'm happy to see all the changes new blood has brought to my hometown, it's about time.
@@jimmyharrison1864 Fantastic
Hey SMUG
FYI
Deo, demolition, demo, tear down, rebuild are all
inappropriate terminology.
Restore, renovate, repair, even "update" would be more correct.
😁 So you don't make a fool out of yourself in public.
Y'all come now. We're leavin' the latch string out for ya'.
Mineral Wells is now a drug infested hole, terrible place. On the Baker , it has a sister Hotel the Arlington in Hot Springs Ar, still open.
I live here and so far so good, no issues. I'm originally from Dallas, and if you want to see and experience a miserable, horrible shithole, go to Dallas.
what is your favorite Texas town and why?
My favorite so far is Jefferson with its historic hotels, charm, relaxed feel, and proximity to Caddo Lake. A close second is Fort Davis. Most Hill Country towns have become too crowded and commercialized for my taste. This is largely due to the massive growth of Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio that flock there on weekends.
@@secretsoftexas6872 if you didn't live where you do now, would you live in Jefferson?
Heading to MW for the 4th, hope to see a former teacher & maybe the guy who sold me my first car.
Nice to catch up back home
The old high school burned! It got gutted!
What a shame! :-(
@@secretsoftexas6872 indeed it is.
Unfortunately the old high school building was destroyed recently by arsonists.
Sadly the old high school burned a week ago.
Wow. That's terrible! It stood for so long.
Miserable wells is more like it
As someone who has lived here my whole life
It’s a dog shit town
I’m tired of tourist invading my town leave you’re in the wrong town go to Fort Worth stop messing with us we live here it is not a tourist attraction
Can you provide a document that states you own this town? Please and thank you
ITS CRAP