Howard Springs (Crockett County, Texas) facts for kids
Howard Springs was a natural water source, or spring, located in what is now Crockett County, Texas. It was found in the stream channel of Howard Draw, just north of where Government Canyon meets Howard Draw.
History of Howard Springs
Howard Springs was a very important place for people to get water in a dry area. It was used by Native American tribes for a long time. Later, it became the only dependable water stop on a long, tough road called the San Antonio–El Paso Road. This road stretched between the Head of Devil's River, about 44 miles to the southeast, and Live Oak Creek, about 30 miles to the northwest, near Fort Lancaster on the Pecos River.
Early Descriptions of the Spring
In 1849, a man named Robert A. Eccleston traveled with the U.S. Army. They were setting up the San Antonio-El Paso Road. Eccleston was one of the many people heading to California for the California Gold Rush. He wrote in his diary about camping at Howard Springs on August 2–3, 1849:
The water...where we took it from, it had a strange taste from plants, so it was hard to drink.
The hills around this valley were all about the same height and flat on top. This place used to be a big meeting spot for Native Americans, as bones of all kinds of animals were scattered around. Even the wood I gathered for our fire had been used to make a kind of tent or shelter.
On July 8, 1857, another traveler, Edward Fitzgerald Beale, described the spring:
Howard's spring was a small hole. It looked like it held only a quarter of a barrel of water, but it actually never ran out. It was right under a rock cliff in the bed of a dry creek. To reach the water, you had to climb down about eight feet using rough steps cut into the rock. Water had to be passed up in buckets, and animals drank from those buckets. There wasn't much grass here, and only small, tough bushes like greasewood and mesquite. A few small cedar trees grew around the spring's bluff, but they weren't big enough for shade or firewood.
Conflicts and Changes at the Spring
Because this water source was so vital, Native American tribes often fought to control it. These conflicts sometimes led to violence, with teamsters (people who drove wagons) and settlers being killed near the springs as late as 1872.
Beale also wrote about the dangers near the spring:
This place seemed to be known for surprise attacks by Native Americans. Near it, we passed the graves of seven people who had been killed by them. Even closer, within a hundred yards or so, were the bones of a sergeant and two or three soldiers who were killed here. Animals had apparently dug up the bodies, and the sad remains of the poor men were scattered on the ground. Captain Lee (U.S. Army) told us the story of the fight, which happened some months ago.
Over time, local ranchers allowed too many animals to graze in the area. This destroyed the natural ground cover. When it rained, the water ran off faster, washing gravel into the springs and filling them up. This also changed the path of the stream. Today, some water still seeps out beneath a nearby pond in Howard Draw. However, recent oil drilling in the area has unfortunately caused this water to become polluted.
