History of Palo Pinto County (Page 2)

History Link

 A Brief History Palo Pinto County

Palo Pinto County was established in 1856 from Bosque and Navarro Counties with Golconda as its county seat. The name was changed in 1858 to Palo Pinto. In 1850 there were still 1000 Indians living along the Brazos River and corn was the county's main crop. The railroad (Texas and Pacific) came through southern Palo Pinto County in 1880. 1891 saw the Weatherford and Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railway completed. Fort Wolters (now the Mineral Wells Industrial Park) was originally a National Guard training facility in 1925 and during WWII became an infantry training camp. It became an Air Force Base for a few years in the 1950s and then became Army property again, this time for helicopter pilot training. The fort closed permanently in '73.

Palo Pinto

It is unusual for the county seat to be smaller than other towns in the county, but at one time, before the golden age of Mineral Wells, this was the dominant population center. The city of Palo Pinto during the oil boom of 1915 reached a peak population of 23,000.

Though not grandiose like the Romanesque courthouses built in the 1890s, this 1940 building has its own understated charm. It is an excellent example of a pre-War rural courthouse. With its brass doorknobs and eagle-encrusted light fixtures, if one was to imagine a young lawyer in a seersucker suit named Huey Piece Long defending an overall-clad client, then one would be horribly wrong. Huey Long never set foot in Palo Pinto County and besides he was killed before this courthouse was built.

Clarence Darrow wasn't here or Gregory Peck or Perry Mason, but when John Grisham gets around to writing a lawyer story circa 1940 (which should be in six weeks), I'm predicting the movie will be filmed here.

A local rancher named Jim Sowell is spearheading a movement of restoration and rejuvenation for Palo Pinto. One of the few buildings that remain "on the square" is the Auction House (below, middle) which holds auctions twice a month. One block south is the oil jail (1881) (below, right) which is the cornerstone of the museum area where contributors and members have several historic structures and other relics of Palo Pinto's past. Noteworthy are the bell and a wonderful hitching post (below, left) of stone and iron that is perfect in its utilitarian design. Jean and Charles Price keep Key to the museum at 940-659-2805.

Two blocks south on Hwy 4 is a well-kept and picturesque cemetery complete with a stone step-stile.

Leaving Palo Pinto on scenic FM 4 South you'll see why this is called the North Texas Hill Country.

FM 4 from I-20 (just west of New Salem) to the village of Palo Pinto was the first scenic roadway designated as such by the State. -- Arnold Ziffel

Mineral Wells

"The Hexagon House." Hotel Built in 1895.
Melissa Haskell, of the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce, supplied the following details:

The remains of the front retaining wall located on the vacant lot at 701 N. Oak Street are all that remain of one of the most unique hotels in the world. The Hexagon Hotel was built by David Gehugh Galbraith in 1895 and opened December 6, 1897 as a well ventilated hotel some sixty-one years before air conditioning became widely available. Although little remains except memories, the hotel deserves mention in the history of Mineral Wells because it was truly one of a kind.

Constructed of long leaf yellow pine, the exterior was covered with cypress siding, and the roof was covered with hand-split cypress shingles. The entire interior trim was "Heart of Pine", a hardwood.

All of the stone work was done by two English stone masons, the building was constructed with wooden pegs and square nails. Four stair cases started at the top and spiraled down through the five floors. The floor of the lobby was covered with hexagon shaped tiles in tan, brown and blue colors. The rooms were hexagon shaped with a bath located between every two rooms. Even before the days of air conditioning, Mr. Galbraith achieved a maximum amount of air circulation so necessary for the comfort of the guests in the hot Texas summers. The idea for the hexagon architecture came from the honeycomb.

David Galbraith, the owner, invented the paper clip, and along with other men of the century, contributed to the invention of acetate. The paper clip and acetate innovations slipped out of his hands because of poor business management.

The evening of the hotel opening, Mineral Wells witnessed its first electric lighting with DC electricity supplied by the newly installed electric power plant adjoining the hotel to the north. The power plant also housed the ice plant and the steam laundry. There was a list of users for the guests to see. It read:

Dr. B.R. Beeler - 1 light and 1 fan Gibson Well - 5 lights

...and so on. The power plant burned in 1925 and was replaced by the City's Convention Hall.

It was a great loss to Mineral Wells when the daughters and heirs to the Hexagon decided to have the hotel torn down for the materials in the building. Ira Tawater of Seagoville, Texas started tearing the building down on Monday, September 28, 1959. All of the materials in the hotel were still in perfect shape when dismantling began.

Mineral Wells Attractions

There are quite a few similarities between Mineral Wells and Hot Springs Arkansas. Both were built by water, and the vacant Baker Hotel, one of the state's most glamorous hotels of its era, was modeled after Hot Springs' Arlington. Although the water isn't as abundant, the stone work and irregular terrain is reminiscent and Mineral Wells' restored Post Office is a gem Hot Springs would love to have. Unfortunately, both cities have seen better days.

Baker Hotel - The bridge from the hotel to the pool
Photo courtesy Jason Grant
Mineral Wells is also home to Bat World – a living Museum and rehabilitation center for orphaned and injured bats which nest throughout Mineral Wells. Like Austinites, the citizens of Mineral Wells have grown to appreciate their insect eating, pollinating friends. Founded by Amanda Lollar, Bat World is an affiliation of B.A.T.S., the Beneficial Animal Teaching Society, a non-profit organization
A self-guided driving tour of the historic district lists 25 sites. Antiques and collectibles can be found mostly on North Oak and East Hubbard. Five area hotels in town will enable you to get a good rest to better enjoy your busy day ahead.

Graford

State Route 16 at the Brazos River, vicinity of Graford, Texas

History

Eighteen stone arches ripple across the Brazos river a mile below Morris Sheppard Dam in Palo Pinto County in the vicinity of Graford, Texas on State Route 16. Local manpower and materials created this magnificent, rustic structure during the country's Great Depression.
Historical Significance:

The Possum Kingdom Stone Arch Bridge is the longest is and most substantial masonry arch bridge in Texas. State highway engineers chose the heavy masonry form to withstand flood waters released from the Morris Sheppard Dam one mile upstream. The bridge features fine craftsmanship and is argued to be one of the best examples of WPA road work in Texas. Many of the WPA laborers were unemployed coal miners who had acquired their stonecutting skills underground. The bridge includes eighteen spands of locally quarried limestone varying in length from twenty-three to thirty feet. All piers are founded on bedrock; most are 3 ft. wide, although piers seven and thirteen are heavier "bracing piers," tapering to 5 ft. width at the top. The structure's total length is 433 ft. and 4 in. Despite having been overtopped by floods, the bridge remains in virtually unaltered condition.

Location: State Route 16 near Graford, Texas.
Date of Construction: 1940-1942.
Designer: Texas State Highway Department.
Builder: Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Present Owner: Texas Department of Transportation.

Gordon

Gordon History Site