Mineral Wells, located about 50 miles west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto and Parker counties, was named for the mineral springs discovered here in the late 1800s. In the early 1900s, the town drew national interest, including being selected as the spring training site in 1919 for the Chicago White Sox. It's biggest claim to fame, however, is its now-shuttered, opulent Baker Hotel. The hotel is said to be the most haunted place in Texas. But it's not the only location with paranormal activity.
The "healing" waters of the springs led to the town's growth and name in 1881.
An early postcard shows the town's mineral water claim to fame.
"Crazy Water" from the Crazy Well continues to be sold today.
It got its name from a demented elderly woman who drank from the well twice daily and supposedly overcame an illness.
The original Crazy Woman's Well is preserved under the sidewalk at the northwest corner of the Crazy Hotel.
The Baker Hotel opened in Mineral Wells in 1929.
The water attracted tourists from around the world, including notables such as Will Rogers.
Judy Garland also paid a visit to the town.
The hotel was decadent and drew in the wealthy attracted to the spas, bathing houses, and, of course, the promise of rejuvenation.
Over time, tourists stopped coming as much, and in 1971 the Baker Hotel closed.
Though it is on the National Register of Historic Places, it has deteriorated.
Numerous ghosts now call the empty hotel home.
One ghost story is about a man who died after jumping into the elevator to avoid being caught fraternizing with the laundry women. He was caught in between the closing door and died. He is said to appear by the elevators at night sometimes.
Another story involves a distraught mistress who killed herself at the Baker. There are many reports that you can smell her lavender perfume at night in the hall where she died.
A woman also jumped out of the bell tower to her death and her apparition sometimes appears there.
Numerous orbs have been seen by ghost hunters, and there are many claims of strange ghostly figures, sounds, and smells.
Ghoulish figures are often spotted from inside the boarded up windows.
The Baker Hotel has been purchased by investors.
Locals are hopeful for a restoration of their once-magnificent hotel.
The Crazy Water Hotel also has spirit sightings.
There are stories of an apparition in a trenchcoat and the ghost of a young girl in a pink dress, both of whom have been seen in the kitchen and basement areas. The hotel is now a retirement home.
Fort Wolters was the training ground for pilots.
It has been reported that one pilot who didn't want to go to war shot himself. He now roams an old barrack where he died.
A decommissioned army hospital has many ghostly stories.
Dead men may not tell tales, but there are numerous paranormal sightings of military soldiers who died on the surgical table. Their spirits still roam the abandoned hallways.
Have you visited the Baker Hotel or any of these other haunts in Mineral Wells? Did you make any new ghostly friends? Share your stories with us in the comments!
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