It was from the first well James Lynch dug in 1877 that the water of Mineral Wells formed its identity. The most famous of the water from Mineral Wells was the Crazy Water. The Crazy Well was originally dug by “Uncle” Billy Wiggins in 1881. As the story goes, it was called Crazy Water because of the positive effects it had on a lady with dementia. She would sit by the well all day, asking people to draw a pail of water for her.
Carol and Scott Elder (seen in the photo to the right) bought the Famous Mineral Water Company on W. 6th Street in 1999 and started the Crazy Water Bottling Company, which is a distribution company for Crazy Water, in 2011. “When we first came in, a lot of history of the water was almost dead,” Carol said. "We're trying to preserve that history.”
Ed Dismuke, a druggist from Waco, founded The Famous Mineral Water Company in 1904. The Famous Pavilion was built in 1914. The Famous Mineral Water Company is the sole remaining namesake of Mineral Wells.
You can buy several different types of Crazy Water at the facility on W. 6th St. and take a mineral bath in the new spa. It's possible to visit the historic property that has attracted health seekers from across the globe for more than 100 years. If you bring your own bottles in a one gallon or larger size, they can be filled inside the original Famous Pavilion.
