Westward Whoa!

It's hard to imagine a time when there were no Holiday Inn's, Hampton Inns, Super 8 or even Motel 6's. My latest trip back thru Decatur this week reminded me of the time when there were real entrepreneurs who never heard of the word "franchise" and were limited only to their own ingenuity... here are a few examples, starting with "Texas Plaza" in Decatur, Texas.



I missed this landmark on my first trip to Decatur, but I couldn't skip it on my secong trip. It's located on the old business highway 287, just south of downtown. It has an old tourist court,



the now famous petrified wood Texaco,



and the "Whistle Stop" Cafe, famous for its apple pie. All of these buildings are in good condition and it looks as if the owner lives in a rock house located next to the cafe.




Staying on "Old 287", I came to Alvord, a small town that had seen better days, before they moved the highway a half mile west. Here are the remains of another rock front tourist court. The owner made a steel frame to keep these landmarks standing and filled the empty window froms with wrought iron art.



Still traveling north you come to Bowie - "On the Old Chisholm Trail". Here I found these rock courts which were neat as a pin. I can only imagine the stories these courts could tell.






This nifty sign is just across the street.



My destination on this trip was Tipton, Oklahoma. Just before arriving I found the town of Frederick, and the home of the once "Grand" hotel. This hotel was once a welcome stop for travelers north of the Red River.



and what's a Grand hotel without a grand coffee shop?

Mineral Wells, Texas - Home of the Crazy

Discovery of medicinal qualities in waters made the city nationally famous in late 19th - early 20th Centuries. It was said that the waters of the Crazy Well (discovered in 1885) could cure mental illness and a long list of other maladies. The Crazy Water Hotel, now a Baptist retirement home, is seen in the upper right and as it appeared in the 1930's.




Famous Water Company - Founded in 1913 by Edward P. Dismuke, this bottling company is the only mineral water well in operation today. Some of Dismuke's products were Dismuke's Pronto-lax, Dismuke's Famous Mineral Crystals, Dismuke's Eye Bath, and Dismukes residuum.


Entrance to the Famous Park where the well is still located.


The Nazareth Hospital closed in 1965 when the Sisters who operated it felt they could no longer maintain their hospital in Mineral Wells due to decreased personnel.



The old Norwood Hospital (originally two floors, see below) from another era. Because of the healing properties (and a new generation who have bypassed the town - along with the Interstate) Mineral Wells is "Crazy" no more.

Mineral Wells, Texas - The Baker Hotel

The Baker Hotel was built by,T. B. Baker, who also owned the Baker in Dallas and the Saint Anthony in San Antonio. It had 14 stories and 450 rooms,with space for 50"apartments" above the main roof line. These premium rooms had the benefit of the rooftop "solarium."

A Spanish Renaissance design, modeled after the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas the Baker opened it's doors November 11, 1929, just two weeks after the stock market crash of 1929. It filed for bankruptcy in 1932. When it opened as a spa for the rich and famous,guests included Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Will Rogers, Ernest Tubb, the Three Stooges, and many other celebrities. The Baker served as military dependent quarters from 1941 to 1944 and was open until closing in 1963. It reopened briefly from 1965-1972 but the doors have been shut since then.




The Baker seen from the East. The swimming pool is in the fore ground and apparently featured a large fountain/wading pool. The pool was connected to the hotel by a bridge.


The formal entrance faced the Southeast. It features a three tiered stairway with multiple lamp posts.


The Cloud Room, a large ballroom was located on the top floor of the hotel.


To the left (behind locked gate) is the pool access bridge. You can also see the pool pavilion which is visible on the right center.


A veranda was located on the west side of the hotel. Shopping and guest services were located on the street level.


This is a detail of the barbershop located at street level.


This is the auto garage located across the street from the main entrance.

This is the Baker today, and this is it in better days: