Mineral Wells is a city in Palo Pinto and Parker counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 16,788 at the 2010 census (14,644 in Palo Pinto and 2144 in Parker). The city is named for mineral springs in the area, which were highly popular in the early 1900s. Mineral Wells is most famous for its Baker Hotel.
In 1919, Mineral Wells hosted the spring training camp for the Chicago White Sox, the year of the famous "Black Sox" scandal involving "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Mineral Wells also hosted spring training for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in the 1910s and early 1920s. The baseball field was located in the center of town where a shopping center now sits.
In 1952, Mineral Wells was the host of the Republican state convention in which delegates divided between presidential candidates Dwight D. Eisenhower and Robert A. Taft. Though state chairman Orville Bullington of Wichita Falls led the Taft forces, the convention vote ultimately went 33-5 in favor of Eisenhower, who was thereafter nominated and elected.
Also from Mineral Wells is Astronaut Millie Hughes-Fulford, who graduated from Mineral Wells High School in 1962. Dr. Hughes-Fulford flew aboard STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS 1) in June 1991 as a Mission Specialist conducting medical experiments, logging over 3.2 million miles in 146 orbit.
Geography
Mineral Wells is located at 32°48′31″N 98°6′7″W (32.808594, -98.101859). Mineral Wells lies east of the Brazos River and Palo Pinto Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.2 square miles (54.9 km²), of which, 20.5 square miles (53.0 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
Mineral Wells is 50 miles (80Â km) west of Fort Worth.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,946 people, 5,707 households, and 3,857 families residing in the city. The population density was 828.6 people per square mile (319.9/km²). There were 6,386 housing units at an average density of 312.2 per square mile (120.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.69% White, 8.77% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 10.50% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.27% of the population.
There are 5,707 households, of which 31.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 5,707 households, 373 are unmarried partner households: 348 heterosexual, 18 same-sex male, and 7 same-sex female households. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 120.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,233, and the median income for a family was $33,765. Males had a median income of $29,074 versus $18,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,336. About 16.6% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.
Government
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Mineral Wells District Parole Office in Mineral Wells. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) operated the Mineral Wells Pre-Parole Transfer Facility in the Fort Wolters Industrial Park on behalf of the TDCJ. It closed in August 2013. The correctional facility, which had been operated by CCA since 1995, is located on the property of the former Fort Wolters in Palo Pinto County and in Mineral Wells. It can house up to 2,100 prisoners. As of March 2013 its annual payroll was $11.7 million and it was among the largest employers in Mineral Wells, with about 300 employees. On Monday March 4, 2013 the Texas Senate Senate Finance Committee voted 11-4 to close the correctional facility. Mike Allen, the mayor of Mineral Wells, criticized the closure, saying "We'll lose right at over 300 jobs, and 300 jobs in a community of 17,000 ... is devastating. This means a lot to this community." John Whitmire, the head of the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said "We're sitting on about 12,000 empty [prison] beds, so it just makes good business sense ... that we not operate it, and we take those savings and plow them back into additional public safety programs."
The United States Postal Service operates the Mineral Wells Post Office. Zip codes are 76067 and 76068.
Education
Mineral Wells is served by the Mineral Wells Independent School District.
The area is also served by Community Christian School [1], a private educational facility, offering Pre-K4 through 12th Grades.
Weatherford College also operates a branch campus on the old Fort Wolters facility.
Notable people
- Dan Herbeck, journalist for The Buffalo News; co-author of American Terrorist, best-seller biography of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh
- Shane McAnally, singer-songwriter and record producer
- Amanda Shires, singer songwriter.
- Alvy Ray Smith (born 8 September 1943), noted pioneer in computer graphics.
- Alice Walton, an heiress of the Wal-Mart fortune.
- Mark Cates, an beautiful graveyardshift worker of local motel
James Vick, UFC lightweight
Gallery
References
External links
- City of Mineral Wells
- Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce
- Historic Mineral Wells materials
- Mineral Wells City Directories, 1909 and 1920
- A Pictorial History of Fort Wolters
- Historic Mineral Wells postcards and photographs
- Mineral Wells Guide
- Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas.
- Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas, Dec. 22, 2005.