“Crazy Water”…part of our area’s rich history.Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Erika Carter
Visitors to Mineral Wells have probably noticed the “Home of Crazy†welcome sign that highlights the community’s heritage, and the mineral water that was discovered over a century ago is a key part of the whole health and wellness industry renaissance there.
That renaissance could spread to the beautiful Possum Kingdom Lake area, too – and the growth at PK could give Mineral Wells a boost in that revival.
The landmark Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells is set to open in 2025, but the Crazy Water Hotel has already kicked things off in the city with its reopening last fall. Visitors should put the Crazy Water Hotel – and the many new shops and businesses springing up, too– on their to-do list when in town.
It’s a natural synergy for Mineral Wells and the Possum Kingdom Lake experience to grow with each other, but the changes haven’t come overnight. The groundwork has been laid by a few creative families and entrepreneurs, and two of those families are Scott and Carol Elder and Carol’s parents Bill and Helen Arneson. Together, the four of them bought the Crazy Water brand and Famous Mineral Water Co. pavilion in 1999.
Carol Elder grew up in Mineral Wells, while her husband grew up in Odessa. The two met at Texas A&M, married after graduation and had a brief stint in Houston, after which they decided to raise their children in a smaller Texas town. Their choice was Carol Elder’s hometown, and together with her parents they bought the old Crazy Water Co. and famous pavilion from the historical society.
At that time, Carol Elder said, the pavilion was doing about $30 a day in mineral water sales. They bought the business for heritage tourism, and to keep the site alive. The original pavilion was built in 1904 and is the only one left.
At one time there were 200 wells in Mineral Wells, but nowadays there are just three, and those three wells are where visitors can buy Crazy Water at the Famous Crazy Water Pavilion.
The site is the center of mineral water education, and also where visitors can purchase Crazy water directly from the wells. During business hours, a steady stream of locals and out-of-towners can be seen coming to the pavilion to purchase the mineral water and fill up jugs to take home with them. On one such day, a couple from Kansas was passing through and mentioned they always take back several 10-gallon jugs to the wife’s father in Kansas, who suffers from sore joints and feels the mineral water helps with his movement. Another couple from Bridgeport, Texas, drives down every few months to pick up several cases of Crazy Water because it seems to help with the wife’s leg cramps at night.
The benefits of mineral water have been known for decades, and bottled water has never been so popular. Mineral water restores lost minerals in our bodies and helps keep our blood chemistry at a healthy pH level. All these things contribute to good health.
“Many of the bottled waters on the shelves these days are just tap water run through a reverse-osmosis system,†Carol Elder said. “They don’t really provide any health benefits.â€
Mineral water has been shown to help maintain overall health and helps with a multitude of issues, including digestion, blood pressure and cholesterol. The Famous Crazy Water is the only Texas-based mineral water on the market.
The Famous Crazy water brand is two brands that were combined. At one time there was a “Crazy†brand and “Famous†brand, but the business has grown exponentially since the Elders and Arnesons bought it.
The company employs 60 people, with three daily shifts bottling the mineral water. The business sells four types of mineral water, with each type based on the depth at which the water is produced. The level of minerals increase as the depth does. Because it is a natural product, the taste can also change from season to season, and Mother Nature helps with that.
The company also offers a fizzy Crazy water, which is a sparkling mineral water., and has partnered with Texas-based H-E-B Grocery Co. to provide H-E-B with a proprietary sparkling mineral water called “1877.†It’s a tribute to the area’s rich heritage.
Carol Elder said the 1877 product has been hugely successful, even though H-E-B has only opened a couple of stores to the Dallas-Fort Worth market. More stores are planned, and the sales should continue to grow as the popularity of sparking water increases.
The Elders and Arnesons also own the Crazy Bathhouse and Spa, located next to the Famous Crazy water pavilion. It is very similar to what visitors would have experienced in Mineral Wells back in its heyday, when the town was considered one of the premier spa resort locations in the South. While at the spa, visitors can purchase standard spa treatments and also enjoy a mineral bath in a private tub, where trillions of microscopic bubbles are injected into the mineral bath. This increases the ions and improves the benefits of the mineral bath.
Just a short stroll down the street is the famous Crazy Water Hotel, with the Crazy Water Coffee and Water bar. This coffee and specialty-drink bar uses Crazy water, but there’s also an emphasis on natural products that promote healthier alternatives to sugary and caffeine-filled drinks. Visitors can take a tour of the Famous Crazy water pavilion, the Crazy Water Bath House and spa, then finish their tour at the Crazy Water Hotel Coffee and Water Bar as they relax and enjoy some of the unique shops in the hotel.
If that wasn’t enough, the Crazy Water has become the organizer of the Crazy Water Festival that attracts almost 10,000 people to Mineral Wells each October. The nonprofit Crazy Water festival committee organizes the festival and let other nonprofits man the revenue centers of the festival. These nonprofits get to keep 90 percent of the profits, while the remainder is used to help fund the festival. It’s a win-win for the whole community to celebrate the area’s history and future.
Crazy Water can be purchased locally at The Trading Post on the peninsula, and United Grocery in Graham and Breckenridge. Crazy Water has been brought back to life by local entrepreneurs who took a chance on our area’s history, and it’s paying off. The tour is educational, fascinating and fun.
Pictured above: Scott and Carol Elder. Scott and Carol, along with Carol’s parents Bill and Helen Arneson bought the Crazy Water brand and Famous Mineral Water Co. pavilion in 1999.
The Elders and Anesons also own the Crazy Bathhouse and Spa, located next to the Famous Crazy Water pavilion.
Famous Mineral Water Co. Crazy Bathhouse and Spa
209 NW 6th Street 609 NW 1st Ave.
Mineral Wells, TX 76067 Mineral Wells, TX 76067
