An old home, located in Mineral Wells, Texas, on 404 SW 3rd Street is shown here. The Baker Hotel faintly visible in the background, looking about half-way up the lowermost branch of the tree in front of the house, and looking towards the northeast.

The Cunningham House (502 NW 23rd Street, Mineral Wells, Texas) was built in the 1930's. It is in Italian Renaissance style, and it shows evidence of later remodeling. It later became the home of E.B. Ritchie, Palo Pinto County Judge from 1904 to 1908. Judge Ritchie was the first of four generations (son George M., grandson John P., great grandson Richard P.) of attorneys and civic Leaders in Palo Pinto County. This negative was part of a collection of photographs take by A. F. Weaver and was found in an envelope marked "Homes, Tour of, 4/76" The following names were listed: "McFall, Brewer, Catrett, John Moore, Hull, McLaughlin."

Mineral Wells' first public school was erected in 1884, and located on what is now [2008] NW 5th Avenue. The building is now used as a museum.

The Period Hotel, located at N.W. 4th Avenue and 6th Street, was owned and managed by Miss Lizzie More. The hotel was destroyed by fire, but its annex is still [2007] standing, and is in use as an apartment house. A similar, but earlier, photograph is found on page 103 of A.F. Weaver's pictorial history "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells," Second Edition, 1988.

This photograph appears to have been given to A. W. Weaver with the following information on the back of it: "Wasn't it Whittier who said 'Still stately stands the old school house, beside the babbling brook'?--well this one no longer stands. It was a firm & strong old building when they tore it down 4 years ago. I thought you would cherish this picture as a fond recollection of yours, mine & Hugh's school days & days of happy childhood, where, as we romped & played barefoot in the soft sands & green grass, we were not as yet familiar with the hidden stones & thorns that one encounters down the highway of life. "All the sheet metal contained in the top of this building including the tin roof was made & fabricated by Papa in Grandpa's store. The metal work consists of the ornamental cornice fittings, the steeples at each corner of the building, metal banisters on the roof top, pinnacles around cupolas, flag pole with large metal ball on top & all drain piping and roof ventilators. "The barren oak trees in the yard are very familiar. Far to the right, not shown in the picture were several …

A photograph taken during the construction of the D. M. Howard Store, located at 101 SE 1st Avenue. D. M. Howard was the first of five brothers to arrive in Mineral Wells. He built the first large department store(s) here. This was the first in a complex of Howard Brothers stores, and later housed the J. M. Belcher Furniture Store and its successor, R. & W. Furniture. Howard himself departed this life in 1910. The building was torn down in 1975.

The ground-breaking ceremony for Mineral Wells High School in 1914 is shown here. The school, finished in 1915, was located on the corner of W. Hubbard Street and NW 5th Avenue.

This photograph was taken at the completion of Mineral Wells High School in 1915. The Mineral Wells Independent School District donated the building to the Fifty Year Club in 2007.

This picture is probably a photographic portrait of Col. and Mrs. W.R. Austin, mentioned on page 54 of "Time Was in Mineral Wells..." second edition. He established the Austin Well where "Blind Nellie" was employed. See also, [Col. and Mrs. W. Riess Austin]

This unlabeled photograph appears to be of Judge J. A. Lynch and his third wife, Armanda Sweeny Lynch, possibly at a family reunion. Judge James Alvis Lynch was the founder of Mineral Wells. No identification of the people (numbered) around them appears to survive.

This photograph, taken around 1909, shows the East Ward School. Built in 1906, and located at 400 NE 9th Avenue, this served as Mineral Wells' first High School as well as an elementary school. It was closed in 1930, and Murphy and Murphy Concrete is now at this location.

The West Ward School is shown with "Dinky Car" tracks in foreground. The picture was taken around 1909. The first Mineral Wells School with a graduating class, built in 1902, it was located just north of Little Rock School on NW 5th Avenue. Mineral Wells' first High School graduation class, consisted of four students in 1903, as evinced by a photograph in "Time Was...", page 189. It was later named "Houston School" in 1915. The West Ward School was subsequently torn down. Another school, constructed on SW 4th Avenue, was then named "Houston School."

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.

A picture taken of the Murphy home, taken about the turn of the twentieth century is shown here. The home underwent several renovations during Mr. Murphy's residency. The family at the time of this photograph consisted of two adults and three children. The home is located on East Mountain, and can be seen from most of North Oak Avenue. It was later known as the Brewer home. Mr. Murphy, a contractor, built many buildings in Mineral Wells, including the Mineral Wells High School and the second First Baptist Church.

The Brewer home on East Mountain is shown here, from a picture taken April 4, 1976. It is visible from most of North Oak Avenue. Originally the Murphy Home, the building underwent many renovations during the period of Mr. Murphy's residence. Mr. Murphy was a contractor who built many buildings in Mineral Wells, including the Mineral Wells High School (1914) and the third First Baptist Church. It is a good example of (re-modeled) Neo-classical architecture.

Judge J. A. Lynch bought eighty acres, laid out the city of Mineral Wells, and was its first self-appointed Mayor. The city itself incorporated in 1882, and Jim ("J. E."--the "E." is for "Edward") Laverty (1850-1934) became the first Mayor (and the first City Marshall) of the newly-incorporated Mineral Wells. Mineral Wells adopted a change of charter in 1894; and a new corporation was formed, which elected G. C. Green the next mayor of this new corporation. G.C.Green later moved to New Mexico and founded the town of Greens Gap. Laverty moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1900 (at age 50), which city he tried to tout as a spa, like Mineral Wells. The famous caverns at Carlsbad were explored in 1901, and made into a national treasure. He married Mary Ann Cowden (1853-1924), and he had three children: Mary Eula Laverty (1879-1969), Roberta (Berta) Laverty (1879-1962), and Edward Franklin Laverty (1883-1956). This picture shows him and his dog in 1882. He died, and he was buried at Carlsbad in 1934, after serving two terms as mayor, and 23 years as City Treasurer and tax collector.

This photograph,labeled "A July Crowd", shows a ladies' gathering about 1920. The photograph shows what is possibly a tea party or a ladies' club meeting. Some of the ladies shown were members of prominent Mineral Wells families. Identified in a typed note - and graph - accompanying the photograph are: (starting at back left) the 4th lady is Mrs. D. G. Galbraith [wife of the owner of the Hexagon House], the 8th is Mrs. E. F. Yeager [wife of Dr. E.F. Yeager, Pharmacist/ Owner of the Lion Drug Store), 16th is Mrs. J.H. McCracken [wife Dr. J.H. McCracken, president of the Texas Medical Association], 17th may be Mrs. Raines (Mrs. McCracken's mother); (middle row, starting in front of Mrs. Yeager) the second from left is Mrs. Dr. Beeler; (first row from left) the 3rd lady may be Mrs. Coon, the 6th lady is Mrs. Paul Bock, the 8th is Mrs. Reba Williams. The children in front are Langdon Bock on the left and Elizabeth Galbraith on the right. There were forty people in total.

The Lion's Club presented an annual comedy skit known as a "Womanless Wedding." This one took place about 1940, and appears on page 119 of "TIME WAS In Mineral Wells," First edition, 1974, by A. F. Weaver. He identifies the men as, "Standing in back: G. Ritchie, Weaver, B. Joiner, B. Holmes, ?, N. Glenn, J. McGaha. Middle row: F. Brewer, ?, H. Cohen, ?. Front row seated: G. Johnson, ?, L. Gambrell, ?, C. Lodal, N. Carlock, ?, M. Mullins."

This picture, found on page 161 of "Time Was..." by A. F. Weaver, identifies the man selling a money order to Judy Garland in the Old Post Office (on NE 2nd Street) as D. C. Harris. The man on the right is identified as W. A. Ross. It has since [2102] been determined that the reason for Miss Garland's presence in the post Office was to lead a procession of children there in order to purchase Defense Stamps.

Photograph taken after the Chautauqua was demolished (that is, about 1912). The foundation can be seen in the upper right quadrant. The Post Office, completed in 1913, is visible to the right of the Chautauqua ruins. The old viewing tower on the top of the hill, destroyed by a tornado in 1930, is just barely visible in the trees on top of the hill. The first Crazy Hotel and Crazy Flats drinking pavilion, which burned in 1925, are seen one block northwest of the Post Office. The Murphy home is on top of the hill in the middle of the photograph. The Hexagon Hotel (torn down in 1959) is just above and left of the center. The Vichy Well is just to the right of the Hexagon House, and is now the location of the North Oak Community Center. In the the next block north (left) of the Hexagon House, facing west, is the Fairfield Inn with a ground-level entrance on each floor. Note the city's water tower at left center.

Colonel and Mrs. W. Riess (W. R.) Austin are depicted here, from an image taken from a 1902 photograph. Colonel Austin is mentioned on page 54 of "Time Was..." second edition. A. F. Weaver says, "...the Austin Well, established by Col. W. R. Austin, who came from Kentucky to Palo Pinto County about 1880. Austin settled on Staggs Prairie, where he farmed and ranched. Then he became interested in mineral waters when he had an eye infection that affected his sight. So he moved to Mineral Wells, and the constant use of the waters restored his sight. He engaged in the dairy business, at first; but later entered the mineral water production field, establishing the Austin Well, which was later operated by his son-in-law, Tom Sims."

This photograph is found on page 115 of the "Mini Edition, 'Time Was'..." and on page 140 of "Time Was..." by A. F. Weaver. J. S. Murphy (seen on the left) built this home in 1914 for L. E. Seaman (on the right). The style appears to be eclectic, with Prairie and Mission elements. Please note the unusual double porte-cochere and the shaped parapet of the front dormer.

A note on the back of the print states that this home was located at 300 NE 1st Street. This home, of physician Dr. C.F. Yeager, stood next door and east of the Old Methodist Church, which may be seen on the left side of the photograph. Dr. Yeager's drugstore was one block west of his home at the SW corner of of NW 1st Street and NW 2nd Avenue.

This picture is may be found on page 183 of the book "Time Was..." Second Edition by A. F. Weaver. His caption reads, "Ferris Anderson home with Anderson on the left family group. Home is located off SE 25th Avenue. The American Legion Post 75 was named after Ferris Anderson." Anderson was a war casualty in World War I.