Downtown
Elkhart circa 1900
Photo courtesy Maurice Higginbotham
History
in a Pecan Shell
The town dates from 1851 and is said to have been named after an Indian
who befriended the settlers.
Jay Gould's International - Great Northern Railroad ran through
the town for years, providing both passenger service and freight shipping.
The railroad phased out its operations as the economy slumped during
the Great Depression.
The town suffered a devastating fire in 1912. The town became a minor
resort in the late 1800s because of mineral waters.
Professor Janet Mace Valenza mentions Elkhart in her excellent
Taking the Waters in Texas: Springs, Spas, and Fountains of Youth
(University of Texas Press, 2000)
She states that the springs were about one mile Southeast of
Elkhart. "The 1889 First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of
Texas reported that a hotel was being built [there] and a health resort
started. Some waters tasted strongly of sulphur and others of alum
and iron salts. These waters probably were the same as those called
Loretto Mineral Wells in 1907 by the USGS." Book
Your Hotel Here & Save Crockett
Hotels More Hotels
TAKING
THE WATERS IN TEXAS
Springs, Spas and Fountains of Youth by
Janet Mace Valenza
