title: [The Austin Well]
date: 1974
language: No Language
description: This photograph shows the Austin Well as it was in 1974.  A legend
 on the back of photograph reads: "Looking south shows remains of Austin Well
 in the foreground with the remains of what used to be the crystal
 plant.  Across the street may be seen the St Regis box plant."  The former
 Crazy Water Crystal plant, at the left edge of the picture, is now [2009] the
 St. Regis box factory 
     This well is associated with a unique and
 romantic history:  It was dug by a Mr. Austin, who claimed to have "Sore
 eyes", so that he had difficulty riding a horse.  The horse, however,
 faithfully led him to a well where Mr. Austin soothed his eyes.  He saw
 improvement after six weeks; and moved to Mineral Wells, where he drilled a
 well of his
 own.                                                                   
     A cowboy rode a blind mare into Mineral Wells and auctioned her off for a dollar and a half.  Mr. Austin acquired the horse, and put her to work drawing water from the well by turning a wheel to which was attached a rope, which with each revolution of the wheel, pulled a bucket of water from the well to ground level.  Nellie was trained to pause at a point in her circular route long enough for the bucket to be emptied, then continue on to pull up the next bucket when it was filled.  Blind Nellie was retired in her old age, but continued to walk a similar circular route in the pasture to which she was retired, pausing in each revolution, as before, until her death in 1912.                                                                         
       Texas Packaging Company, Incorporated, has occupied the box plant since 1980.
subject: Business, Economics and Finance
subject: Architecture - Landmarks
coverage: United States - Texas - Palo Pinto County - Mineral Wells
coverage: Into Modern Times, 1939-Present
coverage: 1974
rights: Public
type: Photograph
format: Image
identifier: local-cont-no: AWO_1689P
identifier: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29822/
identifier: ark: ark:/67531/metapth29822