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A well drilled near this site in 1894 produced hot mineral water at a depth of 3,100 feet. Hot mineral baths were popular then for treatment of various diseases, and Marlin and Mineral Wells were among Texas towns with successful bath houses. In 1907, at the Hubbard well site, J. M. Carroll and other local businessmen built a one-story frame bath house and an adjoining open-air pavilion, where water could be collected for home use. In 1915, a 14-bed brick hospital was constructed nearby by two brothers, doctors John and Will Wood (1862-1950). Patients came from around the nation for the 21-day course of treatment. Success as a health resort created a boom period for Hubbard, which had a peak population of 2,200 in 1920. The popular bath house, owned at one time by Texas Governor William P. Hobby, was plagued by financial problems, however. Hubbard Hot Well Co., with publisher J. C. Mecklin as president, finally took over operation. During the 1920s, mineral deposits clogged the pipe, but the company lacked the funds to drill a new well. At the same time, modern remedies began to replace the hot baths. The Hubbard Bath House closed about 1930 and burned in 1934. The hospital was converted into apartments in 1935. |
