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In 1878 a family named Lynch were moving west because
Mrs. Lynch was in bad health.
Mrs. Lynch was in a nervous condition and by the time they reached the
valley in the Palo Pinto hills, she was affected mentally and the family
could not continue their journey.
They grazed their cattle in the valley and lived in a dug-out.
Because the closest water was two miles away, Mr. Lynch had a well
dug. The water contained minerals and was used by all the family.
Mrs. Lynch's health started improving almost immediately, and within a
few weeks she was completely recovered. Hearing of her marvelous
recovery brought others similarly afflicted. People began to refer
to the Lynch well as the "Crazy Woman Well".
The next summer a number of families camped in the valley and drank
water from the well. As news of the water's healing
characteristics spread, other wells were dug, doctors came, drinking pavilions
were built, stores started doing business and the town of Mineral Wells
came into being.
Mineral Wells is now a thriving city of 12,000 people. Thirty-five
industries are located in the community. Camp Wolters, operated by
the army, is the training base for helicopter pilots. The land
area around Mineral Wells is devoted to ranching, some large ranchers
and some of them small units. Along the Brazos River irrigation
has been profitable and popular.
A network of highways and 29 daily incoming schedules of airline,
railroad and buses make transportation to Mineral Wells easy. The
city is located in the beautiful, rolling Palo Pinto hills at an
altitude of 900 feet. The mean average temperature is 62 degrees.
Fine schools, beautiful churches, attractive homes, planned recreational
activities, golf, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, skiing and other
sports, all add zest to living in Mineral Wells.
The Crazy Water Hotel and the Baker Hotel are famous throughout America
and well known among the hostelries of the world. Guest ranches
and motels located in or near the community are modern in every respect.
One of the well-known businesses of the community, the Famous Water
Company, is managed by the man who founded it fifty years ago. He
directs its day to day activities at the age of 97.
Still the basic industry is the wonderful mineral water produced at
Mineral Wells and used by people all over America.
Crazy Water became probably the most famous mineral water the world has
ever known. Many years ago Crazy Water was reduced to Mineral form
by simple evaporation of the liquids in the water. The minerals
under the trade name Crazy Water Crystals are sold all over the
nation. More than 40 million people have used this natural
product, countless thousands of them for many many years.
The nation's travelers coming into Mineral Wells are greeted with what
is believed to be the world's largest street sign with these words: |
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