Mineral, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mineral, Texas
|
|
|---|---|
 Mineral, Texas
Location in Texas
Mineral, Texas
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Bee |
| Elevation | 335 ft (102 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
78125
|
| GNIS feature ID | 1362942 |
Mineral is a small community in Bee County, Texas, United States. It is an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. In the year 2000, about 50 people lived in Mineral. It is part of the larger Beeville area.
History of Mineral
The first person to settle in the Mineral area was Ross "Rust" Morris. He moved there in 1836 from Montgomery County, Tennessee. He built his home near San Domingo Creek. Nine years later, in 1845, Anson Jones gave 1,000 acres (405 ha) of land to the family of Henry Coley from Tennessee.
In 1874, Thomas Malone and Robert Ricks bought land from the Coley family. People tried to dig wells to find drinking water, but the water they found was not good. Some thought it might be because of an oil spill or old bones from prehistoric animals.
However, William and Susan Sanford discovered that the water had 16 different minerals in it. In 1877, people started moving to the community because they believed this special water had "healing powers." They even called the place Mineral City. Many early residents lived in tents.
Mineral City quickly grew. It had a hotel called the Sanford Hotel, churches, a drugstore, other shops, and a gristmill (a place to grind grain) by 1877. A post office was opened the next year, in 1878.
But the excitement about the water's "healing powers" did not last. This was probably because the mineral content in the water went down when the well was dug deeper in 1889. The word "city" was removed from the name in 1895, and it became just Mineral. The Sanford Hotel was no longer shown on county maps by 1896.
Farming, or agriculture, became the most important way of life for the community. In 1890, Mineral had a population of 100 people. The community faced challenges, including a big fire in 1901 and a flood two years later in 1903.
The population grew to 200 by 1916. More oil was found in the area in 1930. By the end of the 1930s, Mineral had three churches, one business, and several homes. The population was 150 for a while, but it dropped to 50 in 1949 and stayed at that number until 2000.
In 1952, Mineral had a few businesses and two Baptist churches. The South Texas Children's Home was also started that year. By 1990, the community still had two churches and a store. The population grew slightly to 65 in 2010. It is said that the old Sanford Hotel building is now a private home.
Even though Mineral is not an official city, it still has its own post office. The ZIP code for Mineral is 78125.
Geography of Mineral
Mineral is located in the northern part of Bee County. You can find it where Farm to Market Roads 623 and 673 meet. It is about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Beeville.
Other nearby towns include Oakville, which is about 18 miles (29 km) northeast. Pettus is about 8 miles (13 km) southwest. The large city of San Antonio is about 82 miles (132 km) southeast, and you can get there using U.S. Route 181.
Education in Mineral
Mineral had its own school as early as 1887. Another school, built before 1882, had 99 students during the 1898-1899 school year. The number of students grew to 125 in the 1905-1906 school year.
Eventually, Mineral's school joined with the Pawnee Independent School District. In the late 1930s, Mineral still had a school. Today, students in Mineral are still served by the Pawnee Independent School District.
