I am starting at the end... We ended the day with Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Mineral Wells, Texas. This quaint chapel was the site of the Mass and was very nice. Due to the lateness of the afternoon sun (which was behind the structure) the facade appears very dark and mired in shadows. I apologize. Mass was an afterthought or I would have made it a point to get a better picture. We usually go to the Saturday Vigil Mass when we are home but we were too far from 'home' to get there in time. We opted for this.
Imagine Hollywood glamour... movie-stars and studio moguls.... Samuel Goldwyn, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Judy Garland, Jean Harlow. Add a healthy mix of cowboys.... Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry. Don't overlook well known and yet-to-be known government officials.... General Pershing, Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy. Remember a sports legend such as Jack Dempsey. Finally, listen for the signature sounds of Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Herby Kaye, and Lawrence Welk.
Such was the glory of the Baker Hotel in downtown Mineral Wells, Texas for decades. Opening mere weeks after the Great Crash of the stock market in 1929, the Baker Hotel opened its doors on November 22, 1929 and remained open until the mid-60s, followed by a few more years under different ownership until the 70s saw the close of the grand hotel. It was used for a time as wedding venues, meeting facilities, and for a brief period was used as military housing, but was finally closed permanently due to its outdated codes and failure to be maintained. It stands vacant and decaying amid whispers of being haunted. I stopped a local passerby to ask why Mineral Wells would have had such an opulent hotel when the population of Mineral Wells has never been more than a few tens of thousands. I was reminded that Mineral Wells boasts healing springs and natural spas that were capable of attracting the monied elite in its golden era.
There is a veranda that goes all the way around the main floor. Parts of it are accessible from the front steps at the entrance. Most of the windows are broken and boarded up, but there are enough places one can peer through the dirty glass to get glimpses of what was once a gorgeous hotel.
The masonry and ornamental iron are not too badly decayed allowing the architectural grandeur to remain evident.
For a fascinating look at the history of this hotel, google offers quite a few sites for exploring The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.
In the next few weeks I will [hopefully] be posting quite a bit. Wesley turns 20 years old in less than a week and I intend to share a great many anecdotes of this wonderful young man. Next week I begin a photography class as well. Perhaps that will improve the quality of what I try to share here. Anyone can Photoshop a picture... my goal is to get it right with the camera and have little need for the software (maybe I just tell myself this because at times learning the software is even more daunting than learning the camera!!). I also have an upcoming mini-vacation on my agenda to a portion of this great state where scenic photographic opportunities abound. I will definitely be sharing.
Until these posts materialize....
