Touring Through Time

Story by Bob Kaspar

Palo Pinto County On Tour

Saturday, April 29th.....everything you need to know...

Palo Pinto County is alive with history From the Caddo, Hainai (also sometimes called Ioni), Tawakoni and other Native American peoples whose origins echo into a centuries-old history, through European exploration and the cattle booms of the 1800s, and into the dynamic growth of themodernera,itisaplacefullofstories

PamMcQuearyandSandraCrawfordarepassionateabout telling these stories They are proud members of the Palo Pinto County Historical Commission, which formed in 1963 andistaskedwithpreserving,protectingandpromotingthe county’shistory

Both women have deep roots in the county, dating back to the 19th century, and as commission members they’ve been abletoconnectwiththeirheritage.

Crawford and her husband, Don, own the Johnson League Ranch and Mausoleum, which owes its unique name to its founder, W.W. Johnson. In 1905, he bought a ranch that was an original Texas land grant encompassing one league (4,428acres)ofland.

McQueary’s ancestors lived in Palo Pinto County before it wasevenformed

“My daddy, born in 1889, was someone who loved to share hisfamilyhistorywithhisninekids,”shesaid.

McQueary said her fourth great-aunt was once taken in a raid by a Native American tribe She eventually was released and walked back to her home near the border of PaloPintoandErathcounties

It’s stories like these that have motivated commission members such as Crawford and McQueary to organize the “Palo Pinto County on Tour” events, which the historical commissionfirstbeganconductingin2007

The purpose of this self-guided driving tour is to showcase local historic gems, including some on private property whose owners gracefully open their gates to the public duringthetour.

This year ’ s tour will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 29, and tourists will have access to seven sites across the county,including:

TheMagpieInninMineralWells

·TheCrazyWaterHotelinMineralWells

·ThesmallcommunityofOran

·TheOldJailMuseum

·TheFirstChristianChurchinPaloPinto.

·Lover’sRetreatinPaloPintoCounty.

·WorthRanchinPaloPintoCounty.

Eachsitehasitsownuniquestorytotell

MagpieInn

Thepresent-dayMagpieInnbeganlifeastheTygrettHotel. Built around 1910, it served as a boardinghouse during the mineral water boom that transformed the city of Mineral Wells into a vibrant tourist destination during the early 20th century Many of the glass windowpanes and a few of the kitchencabinetsareoriginal,whilesomeofthelightfixtures and other cabinetry hail from the famous Baker Hotel The home’s current owners, Magen and Jeremy Desnoyers, have transformeditintoathrivingbedandbreakfast

CrazyWaterHotel

TheCrazyWaterHotelalsoplayedacentralroleinMineral Wells’pastasamagnetforwellnesstourism Thehotelwas built in 1912 and soon attracted enthusiastic visitors from across the country Unfortunately, the original hotel was destroyed by a fire in 1924. After a whopping $1.5 million investment, the building was rebuilt, and the Crazy Water Hotel reopened its doors to customers in 1927. It included a sanitarium, a water bottling plant, the Texas-Carlsbad Water Pavilion and two wooded parks. The basement featured a bath department that accommodated 150 visitorseveryday.

After the end of the local mineral water boom, the hotel shut down In 1985, the Walker family bought the hotel and transformed it into a retirement community. Eventually, the retirement community closed and the hotel lay dormant for several years. In 2018, the property was purchased by the Nix family and underwent extensive renovations New life wasbreathedintothebuilding,andtheCrazyWaterHotelis once again a premiere destination in downtown Mineral Wells. The hotel features 54 suites, a ballroom, several boutique shops, a salon, a brewery, and a coffee bar proudlyservingCrazyWater.

Oran,Texas

The small community of Oran, Texas, once boasted a thriving mineral water business of its own. It also had hotels andaskatingrink Itsoriginsdatebacktothe1850s, andit Story continues on page 56 is believed by many to be the first settlement in Palo Pinto County Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight are said to havehatchedtheplanfortheirfamouscattledrivesundera pecan tree in Oran, setting the stage for the GoodnightLovingTrailandprovidingtheinspirationforLarryMcMurtry’s classicnovel“LonesomeDove.”Oranprosperedthroughthe 1920s, with a large cotton industry and an operation to ship mineral water crystals nationwide. Eventually, Oran’s cotton industry was decimated by the boll weevil, and the town’s population began to shrink. Oran’s residents are proud of theircommunityandinvitevisitorstobearwitnesstoamajor piece of Texas history The Black Springs Fort was taken from its home in Oran and reassembled on site at the Old JailMuseuminPaloPinto

OldJailMuseum

The Old Jail Museum provides visitors with a detailed depiction of life in Palo Pinto County during the 1800s. Located in Palo Pinto, Texas, the seat of Palo Pinto County, the jail was constructed in 1882 from local sandstone The lower floor features exhibits from the building’s nearly 60year history as a jail and sheriff’s office The top floor is packed with a vast collection of Native American artifacts, as well as heirlooms from the county’s rich ranching history Fourcabinsfromaroundthecountyweretransportedtothe museum,reconstructedandturnedintolivinghistory exhibits

FirstChristianChurch

TheFirstChristianChurchisanotherfantasticdisplayof late19thcenturyarchitectureAstheoldestchurchbuilding inthecounty,itsworn,whitewoodenslatsharkenbackto someofthecounty’searliestdaysThechurchwas organizedinthehomeofalaypreacherin1857,andthe buildingitselfwasconstructedin1882.Thefoundersof TexasChristianUniversityalsowereearlypastorshere

Lover’sRetreat

Lover’sRetreatisoneofthemostpopulartourstopsAnold footbridgestretchesacrossthewindingwatersofEagle CreekasitmeandersbetweentoweringbouldersLover’s Retreatwasonceopentothepublic,andsomePaloPinto residentsfondlyrecallhavingfamilyreunionsthereLegends aboundastohowLover’sRetreatreceiveditsname,with onepopularstorytellingofNativeAmericanloverswhohid amongtheboulderstoescapeaforcedmarriage

WorthRanch

TheWorthRanchisanothersiteshowcasingtherichnatural beautyofPaloPintoCountyWithrockyriverbanks,verdant forestsandtoweringbluffs,theranchenchantsvisitorswith stunningpicturesqueviews.Formorethan80years,thisBoy Scouts of America camp on the banks of the Brazos River hasinvitedyoungmenfromacrossthecountrytohonetheir outdoorskillswithactivitiessuchascamping,canoeing,rock climbing and archery. As part of the tour, the ranch’s windingtrailsandcanyonswillbeopentothepublic

The members of the Palo Pinto County Historical Commission spend hundreds of hours creating a tour that showcases the vivid history of this storied county, and they invite visitors from Palo Pinto County and beyond to join the tour, explore the stories of their past, and perhaps even createafewnewonesoftheirown.

PaloPintoCountyonTour

Saturday,April29

9a.m.-4p.m.

$20/adult;$5/child

Starting in mid-April, tickets will be available from the Mineral Wells and Possum Kingdom Chambers of Commerce

Tickets are available at each location on the day of the tour Formoreinformation,visitwwwpalopintohistory.com