The Damron Hotel was built in 1906 as the Colonial Hotel by J. T. Holt. At one time, both Kiwanis and the Rotary service Clubs met in the dining room that was located on the west side of the main floor. Formerly located at 109 W. Hubbard Street, the hotel burned completely on December 22, 1975 in a spectacular fire that was extensively photographed. Shown here is one of many views of the fire.

The Damron Hotel was destroyed (on December 22, 1975) in a spectacular fire that received extensive photographic coverage. The hotel was located at 109 W. Hubbard. This is another picture of that immense conflagration. All the firemen answered a call that came in at 9:08 on the morning of the fire. The City of Weatherford also sent men and equipment over to help. Volunteers who were not themselves firemen also helped. Other buildings that suffered damage were Pemberton's (an appliance store across the street and west of the hotel), and the hardware store (Bought by Bob Sturtivant) next to the hotel. Note the height of the flames in this picture taken in the later stages of the fire.

This photograph shows another view of the early response to the holiday conflagration that consumed the Damron Hotel on December 22, 1975. The Damron was built in 1906, during Mineral Wells' heyday as a popular resort city. Originally named the Colonial Hotel by J. T. Holt, and built for his second wife, the name of the hotel was changed in 1917 when Mr. Holt traded the hotel to Agnew and Bessie Damron. The hotel was located at 109 W. Hubbard, and the spectacular fire received extensive photographic coverage.

Shown here is another picture in the series of photographs of the fire that destroyed the Damron Hotel during the holiday season of 1975. This smoke-shrouded scene of W. Hubbard, shows the front entrance to the hotel in the earlier stages of the fire's progress. The Damron was built in 1906, during the days that Mineral Wells was a popular resort spa. It burned completely on December 22,1975. The hotel's name was changed in 1917 when Mr. Holt (who had built the hotel) traded it to Agnew and Bessie Damron. It was a very popular hotel through the "Roaring Twenties", the Great Depression and World War II.

Another view of the front entrance to the Damron Hotel at 109 W. Hubbard during the earlier stages of the fire that completely destroyed it on December 22, 1975. Debris from the burning hotel wafted as far as seven blocks from the burning building. No major injuries were reported. The spectacular Holiday fire that destroyed the hotel received extensive photographic coverage.

The Damron Hotel, built in 1906 during the days that Mineral Wells was a popular resort spa, burned completely on December 22, 1975. It was located at 109 W. Hubbard Street. This picture shows the dense cloud of smoke that resulted from the holiday catastrophe. Westbound traffic on .S. Highway 180 had to be re-routed in order to avoid the clutter of debris that littered the street.

Shown here is another view of the plume of thick black smoke at the height of the fire that completely destroyed the Damron Hotel December 22, 1975, along with two hard-hatted individuals (presumably fire-fighters) standing in the street. It was a very popular hotel during the mineral water industry's heyday through the "Roaring Twenties", Great Depression and World War II. By the time of the fire, however, an informant remarked--verbally--that no respectable lady permitted herself to be found within a block of the hotel. Sic transit, it would appear, gloria mundi.

Photograph of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.

Photograph of the Old Post Office Building in Mineral Wells, Texas.

When the book, "Time Was in Mineral Wells," First Edition, by A. F. Weaver was published in 1975, the first ten copies were autographed by the author and auctioned to the highest bidder. The auction was held at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse", and shows Mayor H. Arthur Zappe addressing the crowd in attendance at the auction.

This picture shows Ed Ford, standing before the picture he had painted of Mineral Wells' First Public School. It was built in 1884, and restored in 1975 by The Mineral Wells Heritage Association as a museum to preserve the history of the city.

The picture shows the auctioneer, the Reverend Mr. Bobby Moore, acknowledging a bid on a First Edition print of A. F. Weaver's "Time Was in Mineral Wells." To the auctioneer's right is author A. F. Weaver. The author's wife, Patsy, is standing in the window to the author's right.

The auction of copies of the first Edition of "Time Was in Mineral Wells," by A. F. Weaver, was held at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse." The auctioneer, the Reverend Bobby Moore, is asking for bids on a copy in this picture. The author, A. F. Weaver, stands between the windows to the auctioneer's right.

The auction of copies of the first edition of "Time Was in Mineral Wells..." by A. F. Weaver, held at the "Little Rock Schoolhouse." This picture shows the auctioneer, the Reverend Mr. Bobby Moore, with the autographed Copy Number 1. Author A.F. Weaver looks on in the background.

This picture immortalizes the signing of the 25-year lease at $25 per year of the 1884 Little Rock School building for the purpose of establishing it as a museum. Pictured, left to right are: A. F. Weaver, President of the Mineral Wells Heritage Association; L. Gordon Nelson, Vice President; Mrs. Gordon Nelson, Chairperson for the Restoration Committee. Seated is Bill Hall, Superintendent of Mineral Wells Schools. The photograph was taken in July, 1975. The Little Rock School, in 2007, remains a museum dedicated to the preservation of the History of Mineral Wells. This picture appears in "Time Was in Mineral Wells...." on page 173.

Trees in full foliage (the photograph was taken in July of 1975) obscure the Zappe House on NW 4th Avenue. This Tudor-style home with a native sandstone porch was originally built in 1929 by Mr. R.S. (Bob) Dalton, a pioneer rancher and developer of the Dalton oilfield in north Palo Pinto County. Dr. H. Arthur Zappe, a local dentist, member of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, and former mayor of Mineral Wells, bought the house in 1947. The house is currently [2009] owned by David Adams. There are arched entrances throughout the house, leaded and stained-glass windows, French doors, stippled stucco walls and doors that are inlaid with mahogany panels. In addition to fireplaces, the house obtains heat from gas-fired steam radiators.

Photograph of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.

One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an oval shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Brazos basin. The specimen measures between 60 - 100 mm in length and was assessed to be relatively-recently dead when collected.

One preserved mussel specimen including both the left and right valves. The specimen exhibits an oval shape; moderately thick shell; single looped beak sculpturing; white internal coloring; brown external coloring; no external sculpturing. Collected in the Brazos basin. The specimen measures between 100 - 120 mm in length and was assessed to be long dead when collected.

The Calvary Baptist Church was originally located at 708 SE 5th Street. This picture was taken in 1975, shortly before the building was torn down and replaced by a more modern facility. Both the red-brick-trimmed native rock church and parsonage suffered substantial structural deterioration, which necessitated replacement. This series of pictures was probably taken for both a pictorial history of the old church, as well as photographic evidence of the deterioration of the structure that warranted its destruction and replacement. The new church, at this same location, now faces SE 6th Avenue.

The Calvary Baptist Church, as it appeared in 1975, is shown here. Note the combined use of native stone and brick and the lack of a peaked roof. The upper part of the windows appear to be stained (or painted) glass. This one of a series of pictures of the church and parsonage, showing structural damage prior to their demolition. This native rock and red brick church faced south on SE 5th Street, and the white brick structure which replaced it is built on the same city block but faces west on SE 6th Avenue.

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.

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.

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 across SE 1st Avenue, south of the Savings and Loan. The new First State State currently covers the entire city block at this location.