The Baker Hotel

You can see it in the distance for miles rolling into Mineral Wells along US 180; a dark, imposing hulk jutting out of the ground like a stubborn old farmer, refusing to leave his land even though their days of bearing profitable crops are long gone. Crumbling and deteriorating, its wonderful architecture falling into waste under the heat of the North Texas sun is almost reminiscent of the wreck of the Titanic; you can tell she was once the cream of her crop but the surrender to the forces of nature has left little more than a shell. The Baker Hotel is long since quiet, but in her day was a top-tier destination from everyone from politicians to famous criminals (which I suppose are pretty much the same thing).

Mineral Wells isn't exactly thought of as a hot tourist destination, but in the early years of the Twentieth Century, it was known nationwide for its well-water; legend had it that it was able to lessen the effects of psychological issues and the like (turns out the well water possessed unusually high amounts of the anti-psychotic Lithium, which would later go on to be a popular medication as well as a notable Nirvana song). Looking to cash in on the healing effects of the so-called (and wonderfully politically incorrect) "crazy water". Hotel magnate T.B. Baker came to town with a bold and possibly even nutty plan: to build a hotel so large and grand that it would be a destination for people all over the world, not just the state of Texas. So in 1925, with $150,000 in locally obtained funds, he broke ground on what would be his largest hotel to date: the 14-story Baker Hotel. 

What made this nuttier than a squirrel turd was the fact that Mineral Wells had a permanent population of around 6,000 at the time and was not necessarily a prime hunk of real-estate for a skyscraper, but that didn't stop Crazy Old Ted (which may or may not have been his nickname; I don't have time to research these things). Even though it opened mere weeks after the Crash of 1929, the opening extravaganza was a rollicking party. It had the first outdoor swimming pool in the southwest and by the '40s was fully air-conditioned; it really was a top-notch joint. Rumor had it that even Bonnie and Clyde (if you don't know who they are, well just go ahead and stay off my blog because you're dead to me) stayed there at least once.

After many cycles of boom and bust, the Baker closed its doors for good in 1972 and has stood vacant ever since. Many attempts to rehabilitate it have come and gone over the years and it's a shame because it's an utterly fascinating building. If you're ever in Mineral Wells, I highly urge you to check it out. It's not like you can miss it.