A fire destroyed the Damron Hotel, December 22, 1975. The hotel was located at 109 West Hubbard Street, facing north, before the unfortunate conflagration. The fire also destroyed Davidson Hardware, located in the same block.

Shown here is yet another view of fire at the Damron Hotel, December 22, 1975 is shown here. The hotel was located in the 109 W. Hubbard Street. The fire also destroyed Davidson Hardware, which was in the same building, and damaged Pemberton's ( nearby appliance store) and George's Man's shop a well as damaging the back of Hill's Style Shop.

The WELCOME Sign (shown here) was fostered in 1922 by George Holmgren, the Texas Rotary Club's Governor, following a convention of the Rotary Club in Mineral Wells. The twelve-foot letters were built in Mr. Holmgren's San Antonio iron works by Mr. James Calvert, who was 17 years old when he and his father were commissioned to forge the letters. Mr. Calvert had played trumpet in the "F" troop cavalry as well as playing in the Frank Bird Orchestra in the Baker Hotel. Mr. Holmgren then gave the sign to the people of Mineral Wells with the understanding that they would maintain what was, at the time, the world's largest non-commercial lighted sign. The original incandescent bulbs were later replaced with lower-maintenance red neon lights by the Mineral Wells Jaycees. A Warrant Officer Company from Fort Wolters moved the sign from its original site on East Mountain to the east side of Bald Mountain (now called Welcome Mountain), overlooking Elmwood Cemetery, in 1972. It remains there today [2008], lighted at its base with flood lights, to greet visitors coming from the east. This is a picture, taken in 1972, of the restored sign.

The auction of copies of the first edition of "Time Was in Mineral Wells," by A. F. Weaver, held at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse."

The auction of copies of the first Edition of "Time Was in Mineral Wells," by A. F. Weaver, held at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse." Pictured here are auctioneer, the Reverend Mr. Bobby Moore, and successful bidders on Copy No. 1: Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dickens. The author, A.F. Weaver, stands in the background, and Mrs. Bea Harris is in the corner to the right of the picture.

The auction of the first ten numbered copies of the First Edition of "Time Was in Mineral Wells...", was held in the "Little Rock Schoolhouse." The auctioneer, the Reverend Mr. Bobby Moore, stands with Mayor H. Arthur Zappe, successful bidder for copy Number 2 in this picture. Author A. F. Weaver stands to the rear of Reverend Mr. Moore and Mayor Zappe. Banker Frost Bowman, successful bidder for Copy Number 4, is in the corner at right of the picture.

What is said to be the original Crazy Woman's Well is preserved under the sidewalk at the northwest corner of the Crazy Hotel. This is supposed to be the well the mentally-challenged (or the once-designated "Crazy woman") drank from that "Cured" her dementia. Stories are in conflict about how many women there were--and whether the water actually cured any of them of epilepsy. Subsequent analysis of the water refuted a rumor that there was any Lithium was in it. Cutter's "Guide to Mineral Wells" (first published in 1893, re-printed in 2007) suggests that the first well was "[N]ear the center of one of the business blocks of the city, back of the hardware store of L. B . Kidwell. It is now out of use and, we learned, to be filled up." Although not used for years, this well probably only requires a pump to resume production. Printed on the back of this picture is "The Crazy Well as today", and stamped "Mar. 21, 1974."

Will Poston stands in front of his store, Poston Dry Goods (located at 107 N. Oak Avenue). Poston's was the largest department store in Mineral Wells after the Howard Brothers Department Stores discontinued operations. Many of the glass show cases in Poston's came from the earlier Howard Brothers store. These cases are on display in the store. The store itself is now the Mineral Wells branch of the Palo Pinto County courthouse.

Will Poston surveys the domain in his store, Poston Dry Goods located at 107 N. Oak Avenue. The photograph was taken about 1975.

Photograph of Will Poston standing behind a desk in Poston Dry Goods and reaching up to the handle of a pulley that was part of a messenger system in the store. Part of the store is visible behind him, including boxes stacked on shelves and clothing laid out on tables.

Will Poston, standing, is poised in preparation to dispatch a container along a cable from the central cashier's office in his store, Poston Dry Goods in 1975. The store was located at 107 N. Oak Avenue.

Will Poston stands in his department store, Poston Dry Goods located at 107 N. Oak Avenue. The picture gives a broad view of the boot department of the Western attire carried by the store.

Will Poston stands in his department store, preparing to dispatch a container to his cashier's department. A view of the boot department, with a typical stock of Western boots, is displayed.

This pictures shows the east side of the Crazy Hotel, which opened in 1927, and occupies the entire west side of the 400 block of North Oak Avenue. The Crazy is now [2008] a retirement home. It was forcibly shut down in 2010. Across North Oak Avenue (the main street in the picture) and on the right (east) of the Crazy, is the building (with the Community Aerial Cable Company sign) that once housed Stoker Pontiac. It is now [2008] occupied by Bennett's Office Supply. The Grand Theater (originally the Crazy Theater at 400 North Oak, and now [2008] The Faith Covenant Church) can be seen at the far end of that block.

Will Poston, seated at the cashier's station in his store, Poston Dry Goods, located at 107 N. Oak Avenue, in 1975.

Will Poston stands at the cashier's station, preparing to dispatch a runner to a clerk in his store, Poston Dry Goods. It was located at 107 North Oak Avenue in 1975.

Will Poston is shown standing in the cashier's station of his department store, Poston Dry Goods (located at 107 N. Oak Avenue, Mineral Wells, Texas). Note the conveyor system by which the cashier received cash and statements from various departments, and distributed change and receipts. Central cashiers were common in department stores from the years of the Great Depression through the time of World War II.

Will Poston stands in the sewing department of his store, Poston Dry Goods (located at 107 N. Oak Avenue). The display case is open to show the different types and colors of sewing thread in stock. Colored threads were separated from white for easier selection, and both were available in various brands, spooled quantities and thread sizes.

Will Poston stands with an antique [in 2008] thread (Please not the markings, "Clark", "O.N.T." "White" "Colors" on the drawers) cabinet in his store, Poston Dry Goods (located at 107 N. Oak Avenue). The year of the picture is 1975.

Another in the extensive series of photographs that covered the spectacular holiday fire that completely consumed the Damron Hotel during the 1975 Christmas season is shown here. This picture shows some of the early response to the fire. Note, for example, the electrical utility truck, which has arrived to cut off electrical power to the buildings. The Damron Hotel (which was built during the days when Mineral Wells was a resort) was originally named the Colonial Hotel. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard. The spectacular fire received extensive photographic coverage. The sign "Pemberton Appliance and Plumbing", located across the street west, is visible. Pemberton's also suffered damage in the fire, but by 7:30 the next day, workmen were installing plate glass in it.

This view of the spectacular holiday [Christmas] fire that consumed the Damron Hotel completely on December 22, 1975, was taken from SW 1st Street at the southwest corner of the block in the early stages of the fire. The Damron Hotel was built as the Colonial Hotel in 1906 by J. T. Holt for his second wife. She adamantly refused to live in the country. The name was changed in 1917 when it was traded to Agnew and Bessie Damron. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard. The fire received extensive photographic coverage.

This is yet another view of the spectacular fire that consumed the Damron Hotel during the 1975 Christmas Season. The Damron was originally built as the Colonial Hotel in 1906 by rancher J.T. Holt for his second wife. The name was changed in 1917 when the hotel was traded to Agnew and Bessie Damron. The fire was covered extensively by free-lance photographers. The hotel was formerly located on at 109 W. Hubbard Street, on the corner of the block that included SW 1st Avenue and SW 1st Street. Spot fires began on many nearby buildings, but they were extinguished quickly by volunteers atop those same buildings. This picture was taken during the later stages of the fire, and shows the gutted rear of the hotel, with huge flames still burning in the front portion of the building.

The Damron Hotel (very popular in the resort city of Mineral Wells through the periods of the "Roaring Twenties", The Great Depression and World War II) was originally built as The Colonial Hotel in 1906 by J.T. Holt. Mr. Holt also owned a hardware store at the back of the hotel facing S. Oak Avenue, and a one-room buggy showroom between the hardware store and the hotel. The hotel was traded to Agnew and Bessie Damron around 1917 , and the name was changed to reflect the new ownership. Mr. Holt sold the hardware store to his manager, John Davidson. The Damron Hotel and Davidson Hardware burned completely on December 22, 1975. This picture of the fire was taken looking east on Hubbard Street. The Baker Hotel in the left middle of the photograph is to the north of most of the smoke.

The Colonial Hotel was built in 1906 by Mr. J. T. Holt for his second wife. Mr. Holt also owned a hardware store on S. Oak at the back of the hotel. The name of the hotel was changed to The Damron Hotel around 1917 when Mr. Holt traded it to Agnew and Bessie Damron. A hardware store, hard by, was sold to Mr. Holt's manager, John Davidson. The Damron Hotel, located at 109 W. Hubbbard Street, along with Davidson Hardware, burned completely on December 22, 1975. Please note the Christmas decoration, symbol of the season, on the telephone pole above the fire truck. The main entrance to the hotel is faintly visible through the dense smoke to the rear of the fire truck. The Crazy Hotel can be seen at the lower left edge of the picture.