Boyce Ditto Public Library - 401 Matching Results

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[The Carlsbad Well Building]

Description: The caption of this 1909 photograph that occurs on page 63 of "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells" by A. F. Weaver, notes "...the stained glass windows had not been installed as yet and the "Ben Hur" street car tracks were still running in front of the building." (The Mineral Wells Scenic Railway--the Ben Hur Line to Lake Pinto--ceased operation in 1909, but rails were removed later, probably in conjunction with paving City Streets in 1914.) One of the earlier drinking pavilions, The Carlsbad wa… more
Date: 1909?

[The Carlsbad Well: Second Building]

Description: Shown here is a picture of the second Carlsbad Well building, as it appeared around 1915. The stained (or painted) glass windows are shown installed, and the "Ben Hur" street car tracks have been removed. This picture appears in Weaver, A. F., "TIME WAS ...", 1st Edition, on page 63. The original Carlsbad Pavilion was on the northeast corner of NW 1st Avenue and NW 6th Street, directly across the street west of the Crazy Drinking Pavilion. The Mineral Wells Lakewood Park Scenic R… more
Date: 1915?

[The Chautauqua Hall]

Description: This picture shows a side view of the Chautauqua Hall, once located on the side of Welcome Mountain, where the Jaycee Youth Center is now [2010] located (behind the Grand Theater.) It was taken, perhaps,in late spring or early summer--possibly in the morning. The photograph is featured in "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells..." on page 50. The building departed existence in 1912, after only about seven years of service. … more
Date: unknown

[ A Close-up of Calvary Baptist Parsonage]

Description: This home was the parsonage of Calvary Baptist Church in 1975, according to a note on back of the picture. Note the brick crosses worked into the stone-work above the front door and on the chimney. The picture also shows some structural cracks in the native sandstone rockery above the entrance and window, probably indicating foundation damage. There are also some weathered holes in the structurally-sound, but odd, limestone rocks used in construction.
Date: 1975

[Col. and Mrs. W. Riess (W. R.) Austin]

Description: Colonel and Mrs. W. Riess (W. R.) Austin are depicted here, from an image taken from a 1902 photograph. Colonel Austin is mentioned on page 54 of "Time Was..." second edition. A. F. Weaver says, "...the Austin Well, established by Col. W. R. Austin, who came from Kentucky to Palo Pinto County about 1880. Austin settled on Staggs Prairie, where he farmed and ranched. Then he became interested in mineral waters when he had an eye infection that affected his sight. So he moved to Mineral Wells… more
Date: unknown

[The Colonel Boykin Home - 1301 SE 4th Avenue]

Description: The Colonel Boykin Home, at 1301 SE 4th Avenue, Mineral Wells, Texas appears to show neo-classical elements, along with evidence of later remodeling. This home was built in 1905 by Colonel Walter H. Boykin, owner of the Fairfield Inn. It was later purchased by William Whipple Johnson who, with his brother, Harvey, originally developed the coal mines in Thurber, Texas. Johnson opened the Rock Creek Mine in far western Parker County (after selling the mines at Thurber) and lived in this home w… more
Date: June 1974

[Construction of Oxford Hotel]

Description: Pictured here is the construction of the foundation of the Oxford Hotel (including the First State Bank & Trust Company) in 1906. The hotel was located at Oak and Hubbard Streets. H. N. Frost, father of Cleo T. Bowman and grandfather of Frost Bowman, built the Oxford and founded the bank, which was located on the west side of the building. Some few of the buildings pictured are still [2014] standing. The hotel was owned by the estate until the late 1920's. The Oxford Hotel met its doom by… more
Date: unknown

[Construction of the Malsby Dairy]

Description: Construction of the Malsby Dairy is shown here, going on apace. Steel girders are being put in place, presumably to support a future roof. It was located at 300 SE 1st Street. Construction began (it is conjectured) in the late 1940's. The building once housed a newspaper (in the 1960's) called "The Advance", and then the "Mineral Wells Index." The "Index" still [2007] occupies the building. Please note that only half of the men in the picture are shown wearing hard hats. Please note al… more
Date: unknown

[The Construction Site of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, 1 of 3, The Baker Hotel is in the Background]

Description: This series of photographs was taken in 1975, during the construction of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan at 101 SE 1st Avenue. The Howard Brothers Department Store was an early occupant of the site. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975 to make room for the Savings and Loan. A new First State Bank currently [2011] occupies this entire city block. A good view of the south side of the Baker Hotel is visible in the background.
Date: 1975

[The Construction Site of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, 2 of 3: A Piggy Wiggly Is in the Background]

Description: The construction of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, at 101 SE 1st Avenue in 1975, was documented in this series of photographs. The Howard Building, the first of the complex of Howard Brothers Department Stores, had been built on this location in the early 1900's. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975, to make room for the Savings and Loan. The Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store (at the site of Mineral Wells' first Post Office) and the Green Stamp Store are visible… more
Date: 1975

[The Construction Site of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, 3 of 3: The East Side of the Construction]

Description: This series of photographs of the construction of Mineral Wells Savings and Loan was taken in 1975. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975, to make room for the Savings and Loan. D.M. Howard was the first of five brothers to arrive from North Carolina. He later sent for his other brothers to establish the Howard Brothers Department Stores complex in the early 1900's. The Baker Hotel, directly across E. Hubbard north of the Savings and Loan, is seen to the left of the pi… more
Date: 1975

[The Crazy Crystal Bottling Plant]

Description: A picture of the interior of the Crazy Bottling Plant, ladies are shown bottling Crazy Fiz, a copyrighted beverage created by infusing cooled mineral water with carbon dioxide. The men shown here appear to be checking the process in preparation for the bottling of the Crazy Fiz, while the ladies bottle and crate the finished product for shipment. Note the plant's scrupulous cleanliness, and the fact that all employees are dressed in white.
Date: 1940?

[Crazy Crystals]

Description: Men and women are shown here packaging Crazy Water Crystals. Mineral water was evaporated, and the resulting crystal deposits were gathered and packaged in various sizes for shipment throughout the United States. Written on back of this photograph is: "Pkg Crazy Crystals 1930's" and the name "Buster."
Date: 1930/1939

[Crazy Fiz]

Description: Products were developed to satisfy the public's search for health during the heyday of the Mineral Wells Health Industry. One of these was Crazy Fiz. Carbon dioxide was infused into mineral water under pressure to create a "Sparkling water" drink labeled "Crazy Fiz." The women in this photograph of the Crazy Water Crystal plant are packaging the Crazy Fiz for distribution. On the back of the photograph is printed "Crazy Fiz 1930's."
Date: 1930/1939

[The Crazy Flats and First Crazy Hotel]

Description: A view of early Mineral Wells from East Mountain shows the Crazy Flats in the foreground, and the first Crazy Hotel at the left, at the rear of it. The small building at the right, rear of the Crazy Flats housed the "Crazy Woman's Well" that contributed the generic "Crazy Water" name to the local mineral water. Crazy Flats, the second Crazy Drinking Pavilion with "Rooms for Rent" on the second floor, was built in 1909. The first Crazy Hotel was built in two sections: The first section… more
Date: 1914?

[The Crazy Hotel Barber Shop]

Description: A photograph of the barber Shop in the Crazy Hotel is shown here, including a long row of mirrors and waiting area on the far right, and stations for cutting hair on the left. In the center of the image, "Shoe Shine Boy" Leon Cross is seated next to a shoe-shine stand and an unidentified man (presumably, a barber) is seated near him in a barber chair.
Date: 1974

[The Crazy Hotel in Winter]

Description: The Crazy Water Hotel is shown once again. It appears that the season this photograph was taken is winter, as snow may be seen on the ground. The truck in the photograph appears to be of a type common before 1939. Mineral Wells was a very popular convention city, and the bunting-draped section of the hotel in the foreground probably indicates preparation for a coming convention.
Date: unknown

[The Crazy Hotel Lobby]

Description: This picture shows the First Crazy Hotel Lobby in 1913. The first Crazy Hotel was built in two sections; the first section, which contained this lobby, was built in 1912. The second section was added in 1914, and joined to the first with the two sections sharing this same sky-lighted lobby. A fire on March 15, 1925 destroyed the first Crazy Hotel along with all the other businesses in this block. The second Crazy Hotel, covering the entire city block, opened in 1927. It is now [20… more
Date: 1913

[The Crazy Hotel Pavilion]

Description: A handwritten note on the back of the picture identifies this as "Crazy Hotel Pavilion 1940 Cigar Stand and Shine Stand." Please notice Leon Cross, the "Shoe-shine boy", who operated the stand for years, in the white shirt to the left of the Shine Stand. This pavilion is off the hotel lobby, behind and west of the elevators of the second Crazy Hotel. A fire started March 15, 1925, in the drugstore next to the bath house of the first Crazy Hotel which adjoined the Crazy Flat… more
Date: 1940

[The Crazy Water Crystals Plant]

Description: One step in the conversion of Mineral Wells' "Crazy Water" into Crazy Water Crystals was to boil mineral water in open vats, in three different stages, until only the minerals were left. One worker is visible, monitoring the open vats. The crystals were then filtered out and dried, packaged and sold nationwide. The customer simply added water to the crystals to obtain one of America's early "instant" products: Mineral Wells' health-giving mineral water. The photograph was taken … more
Date: unknown

[The Crazy Well]

Description: This picture was taken in 1974, looking south on NW 1st Avenue from NW 4th Street, showing the metal cover, in the sidewalk corner, of the Crazy Well. It is full of Crazy water, ready to be pumped out and used. The building on the left is the west side of the present [2008] Crazy Water Retirement Hotel. This information was taken from Art Weaver's book "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells...", page 29. This well was the third one dug in Mineral Wells.
Date: 1974
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