Site of Public Mineral Water Well
Mineola, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mineola settlers chose this area, nicknamed "the Forks of the River," for its abundance of water. The town's first water service was administered by A. W. Front, who made daily deliveries to his 50 clients. A water well was located on this site as early as 1885; workmen drilling for salt between 1889 and 1890 discovered mineral water. In 1896 a 60-foot windmill tower with a 3,000-gallon cypress wood tank was constructed and a mineral well dug to 150 feet by Henry L. Beaird. This became the town's main water source. A 1913 analysis of the water revealed more than 12 minerals associated with healing properties. In 1906, an electric motor replaced the windmill. The well was capped in 1924 when the street was bricked over. The exact site of the public mineral water well was the center of the intersection of Highway 80 and Johnson Street. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Mineola's earliest settlers were drawn to this well-watered spot they called "the Forks of the River," and by the 1880s a public well stood here at the town's center. Crews drilling for salt in 1889–90 struck mineral water instead, and a 60-foot windmill tower and cypress tank soon made this the town's main water supply; a 1913 analysis touted more than a dozen minerals with reputed healing powers. The well was capped in 1924 when the street was bricked over the old intersection.
Why it matters
Town water systems like this one were quiet engines of growth, and the era's faith in "healing" mineral waters drew health-seekers and boosters to small towns across America.
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