Mineral Wells Area News

By Pamela Hinkson McQueary

A self-paced driving tour of historic Palo Pinto County Sites

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

April 29, 2023

Palo Pinto County Historical Commission presents Palo Pinto County on Tour – April 29, 2023, 9 AM to 4 PM. Join us for this self-paced driving tour showcasing the following sites:

The Magpie Inn and The Crazy Water Hotel in Mineral Wells

Oran/Black Springs, Oran

Old Jail Museum and First Christian Church in Palo Pinto

Lovers Retreat and Worth Ranch near Palo Pinto

Tickets $20 adult, children 6-15 $5, child under 6 – Free.

Advance tickets available beginning April 10, cash or check only, at Mineral Wells Area Chamber 940-325-2557 or Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce 940-779-2424. Tour day, tickets available at all tour locations.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through Friday or at any of the seven tour locations on Saturday, April 29. There will be a person at each location with knowledge of the location.

Get ready for a fun-filled day exploring our beautiful county and enjoying the wildflowers along the way!

The following offers a brief glimpse of the seven tour sites. A more detailed description of each site is included in the tour guide that all guests will receive when purchasing a ticket.

1) Magpie Inn (415 NW 4th Ave. Mineral Wells)

This beautiful home was built in 1906 as a boarding house during the Mineral Wells crazy water boom. It has a library, parlor, formal dining room, den, master bedroom and kitchen downstairs. The upstairs has five rentable rooms, all with private bathrooms.

Most of the glass windowpanes are original, and the wood frames around the windows were put together with wood pegs. Some of the light fixtures and cabinets in the home are out of the Baker hotel. The Inn is a chef-owned and operated bed and breakfast, currently operated by Jeremy and Magen Desnoyers.

2) The Crazy Water Hotel (401 N. Oak Ave. Mineral Wells)

After the original hotel (built in 1912) was destroyed by fire in 1925, the present hotel was opened in 1927, which included a sanitarium, bathhouses, a water bottling plant, the Texas-Carlsbad Water Pavilion, the hotel laundry and two wooded parks. The hotel served Crazy Water at the bar in the pavilion and featured the famous bath department in the basement.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first two floors of the hotel were the original location of Palo Pinto General Hospital while the current hospital was under construction. The hotel later served as a retirement center, then remained closed for a number of years until the Nix Family purchased the hotel and rescued it from years of abandonment.

Through the leadership of Randy and Misty Nix, the hotel became a public corporation with 88 local owners/investors. It reopened in 2021 after extensive renovations were completed to return the hotel to its former glory and restore many of the original features. Inside the hotel pavilion are The Crazy Coffee & Water Bar and The Shops at the Crazy. Tour guests will have a behind-the-scenes look at areas not usually available to the public.

3) Oran/Black Springs (5 miles east of Graford, north on FM 52) –

Believed by many to be the first settlement in Palo Pinto County, Oran is filled with rich history. First known as Black Springs and later renamed Oran, it began to be settled in the 1850s because of the area’s mineral water properties and cattle grazing. The town grew rapidly and was known for curative waters; for a time, it was more famous than Mineral Wells.

Famous cattleman Oliver Loving was an early settler, and it is said that he and fellow rancher Charles Goodnight planned the first of their historic cattle drives as they sat under a huge pecan tree in Oran. In 1908 several wells began to produce mineral water, and a crystal plant was built to ship the product nationwide. After the railroad reached town, Oran had a gin that ran 24 hours a day during cotton picking season, as well as many other businesses.

Oran continued to prosper through the early 1920s, but after the boll weevil began to devastate the cotton industry, it declined in the 1930s and 1940s.

4) Old Jail Museum (231 South 5th Ave. Palo Pinto)

Construction was completed on this historic native sandstone building in 1882. It served as the Sheriff’s Office and jail until 1940. The Palo Pinto County Historical Association has created a museum in the building depicting the early history of the county. Located on the museum grounds are original log cabins from around the county, which contain furnishings typical of early day ranch homes. A tour of the museum and grounds is a “walk through the past” of Palo Pinto County.

5) First Christian Church (728 Elm, Palo Pinto)

Built in 1882, it is the oldest church building in Palo Pinto County. It served the congregation until 1988. Rededicated in October 2010, the church is completely restored and available for weddings and other special events. It is maintained and operated by the Palo Pinto County Historical Association.

6) Lovers Retreat (3280 W. Hwy 180; 3.4 miles west of Palo Pinto)

Lovers Retreat is one of the most outstanding scenic spots in Palo Pinto County. When it was accessible to the public, it was a popular outdoor gathering place in the county and attracted many visitors for family reunions and church revivals under the tabernacle.

Enormous rocks tower above the banks of Eagle Creek, forming deep crevices, small canyons and natural ledges. Visitors are easily charmed by the rustic beauty of the spot. Indian relics have been found at the site, and there are various legends about how Lovers Retreat acquired its name. Whether one prefers the happy or tragic legend, the spell of Lovers Retreat will exist long after the visit.

7) Worth Ranch (3 miles north of Palo Pinto on FM 4)

Known as “The Big Adventure”, Worth Ranch was chosen by Boy Scout officials in 1929 to be the home of the nation’s newest and finest Scout Ranch . Located in a scenic part of our county, the camp is on the Brazos River at the foot of Kyle Mountain.
Considered a memorial to the “old west”, interesting things to view around the camp include remains of old Indian mounds, rocks where grinding stones were used by Indians, and petrified wood. In addition, The Worth Ranch Museum displays historical items of early settlers, farming, ranching, and Scouting.