This photograph shows the Convention Hall, which was built in 1925 to accommodate the West Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention. The lack of signage on the front of the building--along with copious bunting--suggests that the photograph was taken at its dedication. The picture is featured in "Time There Once was", page 164. The Convention Hall was demolished in 1976.

A note on back of photograph states,"Crazy Water flats fire 1925, March 15th. Picture taken from NE Corner on Oak". Thelma Hart's name appears on back of the picture, which was possibly taken by her husband, as his name, Lawrence, also appears. The picture is included in A. F. Weaver's book, "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells," on page 18.

"First car of shale" is the legend printed on the original photograph. The car bears the marking "H.M.X. 20" on the rear. The picture probably commemorates the opening of Mineral Wells' fledgling brick manufacturing industry, as the appearance of a gentleman wearing a tie and wielding a shovel suggests a celebration of sorts. His attire shown is typical of summertime 1930's dress. The photograph bears the legend that it was restored by A.F. Weaver.

A picture of the Hexagon Hotel. See also "Hexagon Hotel [with history]." This picture was taken in 1925. Note the construction of the Convention Hall beside the Hexagon Hotel on the right. The Convention Hall was demolished in 1977

A photograph of the first clubhouse of The Mineral Wells Golf and Country Club is shown here. This picture comes from Knights of Pythias Album, 1925. The swimming area and lifeguard station can be seen at the far left of the picture.

Souvenir program from the silent motion picture, "The Birth of a Nation, the Most Stupendous and Fascinating Motion Picture Drama Created in the United States. Founded on Thomas Dixon's story 'The Clansman'", which presents an early 20th-century Southern view of Reconstruction. The program includes a list of cast members, statements about the creation of the film and background of the story, trivia about the film, and blurbs from reviewers.

This picture is an undated photograph that appears to have been published in the Mineral Wells Index . It also appears on page 148 of A.F. Weaver's book "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells." The caption reads, "Palo Pinto County Boys' and Girls' Poultry Clubs and the Junior Rotary Band received pure-bred eggs distributed free by the Bank of Mineral Wells. Note the bank has had an addition to its south side." The caption on an earlier picture of the bank states, "D. M. Howard and R. B. Preston opened the first bank in the City, The Bank of Mineral Wells, located at 102 SE 1st Avenue." In a companion picture on p. 148, "TIME WAS ... ", the caption reads,"The Bank of Mineral Wells went broke in 1924. The building was then used by Ball Drug and Massengale's Appliances. The building was torn down to make room for parking in the downtown area." (The City Directory of 1924 lists the bank's location at 102 Southeast 1st. Avenue. There is no listing of it in the 1927 City Directory.)

This picture, showing the concert band of the Mineral Wells High School Marching Band (standing on the steps of the school) was taken around 1922. James Walker Calvert is on the top row at the far right. Mr. Brunswick, the bandleader, is on the front row at the far left. Ellis White is the trombone player on the left. See also "Mineral Wells High School Marching Band."

A booklet about the history of Mineral Wells, Texas, from 1881 to 1921.

A panoramic view of Mineral Wells looking southwest from East Mountain, Poston's Dry Goods store may be seen in the middle left of the picture, and the Old High School, Rock Schoolhouse, and West Ward School are visible next to West Mountain skyline in the upper right corner of the picture.

This picture shows a photograph of two pages from a water-bottle-shaped brochure about Mineral Wells. The "Appendix" referred to on the verso folio refers to a series of burlesques printed on previous--unseen--pages. Recto describes the four types of the water and the various ailments that they are expected to cure. The brochure notes that number four water is purgative, and should be used in moderation, but at frequent intervals.

Pictured here is a semi-ornate brick building (with a socle presumably of stone), advertising the Davis Wells and the Davis Baths. This enterprise is not listed in A.F. Weaver's "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells...." The picture appears to have been excerpted from a larger photograph, as the legend "Davis Baths" (not visible in the picture) appears on the negative. Polk's Directory for 1920 lists "Davis Mineral Baths" (proprietor, Dr. Eldred A.--the "A" stands for "Albany"--Davis) at "210 1/2 N. Oak Avenue." The business cannot be found in the 1909 or 1914 Polk's Directories. However, the 1914 Polk's Directory shows a Dr. Davis as living at 514 East Throckmorton [presently, in 2014, NE 1st Street] with his wife, Helen. The name of the bath house was changed to the "Buck Head" (or "Buckhead", as some sources have it) at some as yet unknown date.

A view of the Crazy Flats and first Crazy Hotel, as seen from East Mountain, is shown here. The Crazy Flats, at the right middle of the picture, was the second Crazy Drinking Pavilion--also with Rooms for Rent--was built in 1909. One feature of the Flats was "Peacock Alley", where the men gathered on Sundays to watch the ladies parade and show off the latest fashions in female gear. The first Crazy Hotel is to the left rear of the Flats; the first section of the Hotel, on the right, was built in 1912, and the second section, on the left, to its left, was built in 1914 and connected to the first with a common lobby. The Crazy Bath house adjoined Crazy Flats on the left, and a drugstore was located in the left corner of the Bath house building. A fire, starting in the drugstore on March 15, 1925, burned the entire block, sparing only the small building housing the first Crazy Pavilion (the right rear of the Flats.) The current (second) Crazy Hotel opened in 1927, and replaced all of the former businesses in this block.

This picture is accompanied by a newspaper article that chronicles the activities of a group of men repairing the public highway between Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto in the year 1920--before the Texas Highway Department was created. Pictured are the following people: Harold Guinn on left with spade. J. L. Miller on truck fender. Standing, left to right: Red Taylor, George Oliver, Johnnie Liveley; Irl Preston and W. T. Tygrett shaking hands, with Joe Dillon standing between them. Also standing in the background are Clarence Wewerkka, W. C. Caldwell, W. I. Smith, and Lawrence Davis. The photograph is listed as courtesy of W. T. Tygrett.

The gazebo-like structure shown in the picture protects a water pump in front of the Milling Sanitarium. The sanitarium was built about 1929 on what was then the 2500 block of Southeast 6th Avenue. It later became the Irvine Sanitarium. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post 2399) occupies the building as of 2010. The fate of the structure shown here is unknown.

This is a photograph of a suspension bridge for pedestrian traffic across Eagle Creek at Lover's Retreat. Formerly a public park, and now on private property, it was located four miles west of Palo Pinto on the old Bankhead Highway (now U.S. Highway 180).

The city directory for Mineral Wells, 1920, embraces a complete alphabetical list of business firms and private citizens; a directory of city and county officials, churches, public and private schools, banks, asylums, hospitals, commercial bodies, secret societies, street and avenue guide, etc.

Two men are here seen sitting on a bench at Inspiration Point. The photograph is believed to have been taken about the year 1920. The bluffs above the Brazos River are visible in the background. The man at the far left has been identified as Bealer Beard--at one time an owner of a construction company in Mineral wells.

A view of Mineral Wells, looking north from South Mountain, taken after 1929, is pictured here. The front of the old Mineral Wells High School is visible in the lower left corner. The Crazy Hotel is just to the right of center. This picture comes from one of 17 (4X4) negatives that were found in an envelope from Charles W. Simonds (Route 5, Box 43, Norman, Oklahoma, 73069), addressed to A.F. Weaver Photography and postmarked Aug. 4, 1975. Also on the envelope were some telephone numbers and the remark "Father - C.W. Simonds (Clarence Winfield)."

This is a picture that was found in Mr. Weaver's collection, and captioned "We lost our job at Mineral Wells, Texas." This type of advertising was used by most of the drinking pavilions in this popular health resort to tout the beneficial effects of Mineral Wells' waters. There were numerous testimonials attesting the truth of such claims. When the Food and Drug Administration began to enforce the nation's drug laws vigorously in the mid-1930's, however, there were no rigorous scientific test data to document such claims, or to warn of possible side effects that taking the mineral water might cause. Consequently, this sort of advertising was banned after the 1930's.