The young woman walks the halls of the seventh floor, endlessly
searching for those she knew. Pausing briefly for an echo, a brief
sound silenced long ago.  She attempts a glimpse of a time more familiar.

As if in a dream she recalls faint memories of her childhood.  The
hardships of a poor farming family forced from their home by dry
fields and spineless bankers.  She searches for acquaintances, for
the profession that took her far from the backbreaking cotton fields
of west Texas. 
She searches for the man whose fondness kept her in comfort, in
the modest corner suite.  She is fortunate indeed. She searches the
lonely halls for a time, a time left in the memories of only a few.
She searches for a life she knew all too well.  A life, which offered
very little for a homeless farm girl.    
Some believe she still occupies the corner suite.  They sense her
presence.  They smell her perfume near the room she once occupied
before her suicide many years before. She still lingers. She, and
others who call the Baker hotel in Mineral Wells, their eternal home.

Once a very lavish hotel, the huge Baker was the site of many wonderful
times.  Set in the backdrop of the bustling early twentieth century,
the Baker was a reflection of all that America was.  The hotel,
born at the beginning of the great depression, survived the financial
hardships of the era to witness the greatest war mankind has ever
seen. 
Becoming one of the states most lavish resorts, the Baker built
a magnificent reputation that attracted people from all walks of
life for one reason or another.
One may find the history of the grand old hotel very interesting.
That history could well be a key to some of its permanent guests.

In 1877, a man by the name of James A. Lynch came to Palo Pinto County
from his previous home near Denison, Texas on the Red River.  Upon
arrival to the Palo Pinto hills he ran into a bit of bad luck. Both
of his oxen died. This put the Lynchs in a pickle because they had
to haul water from the Brazos River, eight miles to the west, to
their home in the valley about 45 miles west of Fort Worth.
Mr. Lynch decided to dig a well on his property to put an end to
his water needs and employed a traveling well digger to do the job.
Soon he had bonofied water well in his yard but was disappointed
to discover that the water from his well had a foul odor and thought
to be undrinkable.  In time; however, Mrs. Lynch, who suffered from
severe arthritis began drinking the water.  Soon, signs of her illness
had completely disappeared.
Word, of course, soon got out about the curing waters on the Lynch
place and people began to arrive to sample a drink of this foul water.
Mr. Lynch realized he had just discovered a liquid gold mine.
Before long more wells were dug in the area bringing more and more
people.  Soon the town was given the name Ednaville but shortly
after changed to Mineral Wells as hordes of people flocked there
to drink and bathe in the healing mineral water.  By 1910, Mineral
Wells was considered a national health spa.
By the early 1920s the successful spa city quickly began to see
the development of many small hotels and boarding houses to facilitate
the annual 100,000 plus visitors.  The city fathers recognized the
need for more luxurious accommodations for the prestigious groups
of people who began to travel there to partake in the medicinal mineral
water. 
In 1914 the Crazy Water Hotel was erected and became the center
of activities but suffered a devastating fire in March 1925, which
destroyed most of the building.  It was at that time, because of
the success of the Crazy Water, that a man by the name of T. B. Baker,
a wealthy hotel businessman, decided to build a grand hotel in Mineral
Wells that would closely resemble the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs
Arkansas.
Mr. Baker owned several hotels throughout Texas at that time.  Among
them were the St. Anthony, the Gunther, and Menger in San Antonio,
the Stephen F. Austin in Austin, the Texas Hotel in Ft. Worth, the
Baker Hotel in Dallas, the Goodhue in Port Arthur, the Galvez in
Galveston, the Edison in Beaumont, and the Sterling in Houston.
Construction on the Baker began about 1926 and was completed in
1929, for $1,250,000.00.   The facility was magnificent, reflecting
the sprawling spirit of the roaring twenties.  Towering fourteen
stories it stood out over the small town of 7,000 residents like
a brown brick giant.  The hotel housed approximately 460 guest rooms,
two complete spas, and what is said to be, the first Olympic size
swimming pool in the United States.  The Baker could rival any plush
hotel In New York or Chicago.
Many celebrities visited or performed at the Baker, according to
some of the old timers and the old registers.  Such names as the
Three Stooges, Clarke Gable, Judy Garland, Will Rogers, Marlene Dietrich,
General John Pershing, L.B.J., Jean Harlow, Sam Goldwyn, Sammy Kay,
Dr. Charles Mayo, Jack Dempsey, Sam Rayburn, Helen Keller, Ronald
Reagan and Mary Martin, just to name a few.
According to an article in Palo Pinto County History Vol. 1,
a waiter recalled a $2.00 tip given him by the outlaws Bonnie Parker
and Clyde Barrow, although he didnt recognize them at the time.
Many Big Bands blasted out their tunes from the Sky Room at
the top of the building or in the Brazos Room located on the first
floor.  Lawrence Welk remembered his starting out days at the Baker
when he could barely speak English. He commented that the Baker was
one of the most lavish hotels he played at during those days.  Other
named entertainers of the time that visited the Baker included Guy
Lombardo, Paul Whiteman, Dorothy Lamoure, and later, Pat Boone.
World War II ushered in a new era for the hotel.  Fort Wolters,
an Army Basic Training Center grew to be the largest infantry replacement
base in the country. As many as 30,000 soldiers passed through its
gates in 1942 alone.  The Baker was at its peak as it catered to
both civilian and military personnel alike. 
Life in America, however, began to change by the 1950s.  The FDA
was becoming a strong influence in the way medical treatment and
medications were being distributed.  Government crackdowns in advertising
of cure-all tonics and mineral waters changed the way we viewed medicine.
New drugs such as antibiotics and preventive medicines soon began
to take the mainstream of the health field as the needs of the mineral
waters began to fade.
The interstate system in the late 1960s and early 1970s re-routed
the main flow of traffic out of the city of Mineral Wells. I-20,
passing 14 miles to the south, cut off a major financial artery to
the small town. 
In 1952, Mr. T.B. Baker, getting on in years, retired.  He had no
children but left his successful hotel empire to his nephew, Earl
M. Baker who was himself very successful in the Baker Hotel business.

Earl Baker, who lived in San Antonio, said he would continue to
operate the Baker in Mineral Wells until his 70th birthday.  True
to his word, on April 30th, 1963, the Baker closed its doors.  But
not for long.  A group of civic leaders gained enough capital to
re-open the hotel in 1965.  Unfortunately, with very little profit,
the hotel was forced to close for good in 1970.
In a strange twist of fate, Mr. Earl Baker was visiting the Baker
hotel for one last time on December 3, 1967.  He died suddenly of
a massive heart attack.  It was as if the hotel engaged in a final
act of revenge for the declining years of glory and subjugated neglect.

In 1973, the Army closed Fort Wolters resulting in another major
blow to the economy of Mineral Wells.  By the late 1970s the city
had fallen on hard times, loosing one third of its population. The
oil and gas industry had moved in and sparked a bit of hope but by
1985 it too went bust leaving the town once again desperate for an
economic future. 
Although the city of Mineral Wells has recovered to a small degree,
its once beautiful hillsides are slowly being depleted by local
brick plants and the factory dependent town survives on a low socio-
economic base, far from the glorious days of yesteryear and the success
of the of the mineral waters.
In 1982 the owners of the Baker auctioned all the interior furniture
and many of the original fixtures; however, even in its state of
ghostly decay, one can still sense the glamour of days gone by and
feel the radiance of its heyday.
Gone are the starlets, the proud men in uniform, the big bands,
the conventions, and hosts of others who made the Baker a memorable
part of their lives.  But perhaps some never left at all or have
returned to forever experience a time when Mineral Wells was one
of north Texas finest cities.
The stories of ghosts and hauntings began in the Baker long before
it ever closed.  A porter who worked there during the 1950s and
1960s was the first known to witness the ghost of the woman on the
seventh floor.  A story is told of a woman who was a possible mistress
of the hotel manager.  Distraught from her affair she jumped to her
death from the top of the building.  The year of the incident has
not been verified but the room she stayed in, apparently quite comfortably,
was a suite on the southeast corner of the seventh floor.  Many
have reported smelling her perfume and she is said to be quite flirtatious
with men she may fancy.
Recently a woman, who worked as a maid in the hotel, reported that
on several occasions she found glasses in the room with red lipstick
stains on the rims.  This took place at times when no one was staying
in the room.
Jane Catrett who is assisted by Ronny Walker now manages the building.
Ronny manages tours of the building on weekends when time allows
and is quite knowledgeable on the history of the hotel as well as
the reports of a few sightings of disembodied guests, from time to
time.
Ronny reported one night he was near the main lobby on the first
floor when he heard the distinct sound of a woman in high heals walking
across the lobby.  Thinking the footsteps to be those of Jane Catrett
he yelled out her name; however, the footsteps faded away and upon
further inspection, Ronny found himself all alone.  Later he discovered
that Jane had not been in the building that day. 
On another occasion, Ronny reported being on the 7th floor re-setting
an electrical breaker to the Christmas lights, which continuously
tripped every night during display.  As he was inspecting the fuse
box, attempting to locate the breaker switch, he heard the footsteps
of an unseen person walking up to his left - quietly - as if not
to bother him.  A bit startled, he turned to look and saw no one.
Ronny spoke to the possible ghosts and assured them he meant no
harm.  After that night the lights never tripped off again.
On one other occasion, Mrs. Anita Powell, owner of Anitas Antiques
& Collectibles reported that back about 1980, she had an art shop
on the bottom floor of the Baker and would occasionally give tours
of the building.  She recalled one particular afternoon she had a
tour of W.W.II veterans and their spouses. 
As the group entered the Brazos Room on the first floor, which
was the main dining room and dance area, a couple directly in front
of her stopped.  The woman looked at her husband and asked, Do you
hear that?  He replied, Why, I certainly do.  About that time
Anita reported that several in the group began to hear the sounds
of dishes and silverware clanking as well as people talking and orchestra
music in the background.  Most of the people there reported to have
witnessed this event.  Anita said it never happened before nor since
but she was sure they were experiencing ghostly echoes of a time
long past.
The most eerie story of the old Baker would have to be the tragic
tale of the death of a young elevator operator by the name of Douglas
Moore. The original story was told that in 1948, Douglas went to
work at the Baker and quickly began to earn a lot of money for an
elevator operator.
After a while of gained financial employment, Douglas confessed
to his mother that he had become a minor part of an illegal prostitution
racket in the hotel.  His mother insisted that he quit.  Douglas
went a step farther and reported the happenings to the local authorities
not knowing that some were actually involved in the ring.
Douglas was suddenly laid off but was called back to work two weeks
later.  Upon returning to his job he found himself in the basement
playing around in the service elevator late one night with two other
bellboys.  This particular elevator had a call button that would
send it rapidly from the basement to the top elevator room without
stopping.
It was reported by the other two boys that one of them accidentally
depressed the call button when Douglas was not completely inside
the elevator; the elevator suddenly engaged trapping Douglass body
halfway out and severing him in two at the waist.  The tragic developments
were later discovered and many believe the two boys were paid to
kill young Douglas. 
Some have reported seeing the ghost of Douglas lurking about in
the basement area.  Some say that only the upper portion of his body
and his head can be seen, the lower portion is of course, missing.
While on one of my personal visits to the Baker, I must admit,
this location, where the young boy died, was the one that just gave
me a very uneasy feeling.
In a discussion with a local psychic, then later with a distant
relative of Douglass did I learn the true story of the death of
the hard working young man. Douglas apparently was never a part of
a prostitution ring.  Actual he was a 15-year-old boy who came from
a poor family.  He never drove a fancy car, which some have said
and didnt make a lot of money. 
Douglas and his friend, Logan Shoemake, were horsing around one
evening as teenagers do.  Logan was operating the service elevator.
As the elevator had no guard on it one could hop aboard, as it
was moving.  The elevator operated by Logan was going up.  As it
raised about four to five feet above the floor level, young Douglas
attempted to jump in.  His friend Logan saw he couldnt make it and
attempted to pull him in.  Douglass body was crushed at the waist.
He died within half an hour of the accident.  The Baker Hotel paid
for all funeral arrangements. It was a tragic event and one, which,
the family never fully recovered from.
A young woman who worked at a local drive through bank in the early
to mid 1990s reported she and the other girls in the office faced
the huge Baker everyday from their workstations.  During slow times
they began to notice windows opened on various floors of the Baker.
Then later they would notice them closed and others would be opened.
After a while they began to take note and count, which were opened
and closed. They seemed to move around.
One of the girls told the others it must be the man who lives in
the building and takes care of it.  After that, the interest ceased
and they stopped noticing.  The strange thing is, no one has ever
stayed in the Baker at any time since its closure in 1970.  There
never was a caretaker living in the Baker so just who was opening
and closing the windows?
In the spring of 2000, I spoke with a local Mineral Wells woman
who claimed to be a psychic.  She has wished to remain anonymous
for fear of ridicule in such a small town.  I for one certainly understand.

She told me, ever since she was a young girl; she has had the ability
to see spirits.  She said she had been in the Baker many times and
even ran a shop on the outside first floor back in the early 1980s.
She said the stories are true.  The Baker is very haunted but not
like we think.  It is mostly occupied with ghosts who didnt necessarily
die there but who returned because the Baker was a place of wonderful
times in their lives.
She went on to say that most of the spirits in the hotel do not
want to be seen nor heard with the exception of a small child.  A
little boy, about six to eight years old, who has been the only one
to communicate with her.  He told her he died in the hotel in an
apartment back in 1933 when his parents moved there to seek medicinal
treatment for his leukemia.
She reported a large shaggy dog always accompanied the child and
he was always bouncing a ball, which he would do to get her attention.
She said, he was watched by an older woman who was unknown but
was always near him.
The psychic went on to tell me the spirits dont necessarily look
the age they were when they died.  Some were employees of the building.
One she said, for reasons she doesnt understand, was a helicopter
pilot who attended basic flight training at Ft. Wolters in the 1960s.
He was killed in a helicopter crash while at Ft. Rucker, Alabama.
He had returned to the Baker with his body in the same traumatic
state as resulting from the crash.
With so many sightings in such a landmark, it was time to see if
any of it could be proven. In October 2000, two Paranormal Investigation
teams, DFW Ghostwatchers from Dallas and Lone Star Spirits from
Houston were contacted to perform a full-scale investigation of the
facility.
With about $100,000.00 worth of high tech audio-visual and other
scientific instrumentation the teams began a full-scale research
mission on the Baker that took three visits to complete.
Literally, investigator Dusty Rainbolt, of DFW, using a digital
camera, photographed hundreds of orbs. Orbs, report some experts,
are the actual spirits of the dead.  The orbs were photographed
throughout the building with the largest concentration being on the
14th, 7th, 5th floors and the basement.  Dusty also captured an orb
partially hidden behind a door which she said was most unusual. 

She also captured, what appeared to be, two very distinct ecto
mist apparitions in the 14th floor ball room. Another
photographer/investigator,
Weems Hutto, also of DFW, was taking still frame shots with a 35
mm at the same time and captured what appeared to be another ecto
mist just above the first photographer.  Another psychic who accompanied
the team reported seeing an old woman in a wheelchair located in
the southeast corner of the ballroom who kept saying, I cant do
it, I cant do it.
The most active floor one night was the fifth floor.  Donna, the
psychic with the group, began to feel hesitant and nauseous as she
moved toward the west end of the fifth floor. She said someone was
trying to make the team sick so they would leave.  She refused
to go any farther in that direction.  Later, members of Lone Star
Spirits who visited the area began to choke and cough in the same
spot, unknowing of Donnas previous experience.
Donna was then drawn to a room on the north end of the fifth floor
where she sensed a young woman making rustling sounds with her dress.
Donna reported the young girl to be moving too and fro to make
sure her makeup was just right.  She said the spirit would wonder
around the men and was especially attracted to a certain one in the
group.  She went on to say there was a man at the door about to knock
to escort her to a dance in the Sky Room.
Another psychic named Wayne, who later joined the group on the fifth
floor, confirmed Donnas findings.  He added that he had picked up
on the disgust and discomfort on the west end and said it was occupied
by a large disgusting man who wanted everyone to leave.  Wayne said
he found suffering and disease in the area.
A time-lapse video camera was placed in the Brazos room on the first
floor and recorded various moving objects over a four-hour period.
151 to be exact.  The room had been closed off to the party and
entrance was not allowed by anyone living.  Most of the objects
could have been dust in the air reflecting off the light but some
were visible moving orbs, especially in the hallway.   
An audio of the basement elevator area captured the distinct sound
of a man screaming as if in some kind of agony. A different group
recorded the same sound on another investigation in June of 2001.
It would have been very difficult for anyone in the team to mimic
the sound because the area was locked as to keep everyone out.
In the beginning of the expedition one of the members who claimed
to get very nauseous when ever she gets around haunted places was
unable to stay more than a few minutes in the old hotel before being
forced to leave, very ill.
In May 2001, a group of nine journalism students from Weatherford
High School spent a Saturday night in the hotel, not really putting
much interest in the ghost.  The group, of course, thought different
after their visit.
A picture taken of the students on the 14th floor ballroom shows
them to be enveloped by hundreds of orbs, which they never saw with
their eyes.  Another picture taken by the only female in the group
captures, what appears to be, the side of a womans head covered
with long blond hair. No one in the group had blond hair, let alone,
long blond hair.  The picture was taken of a darkened room.
With so much activity in the building it may be one of the most
haunted places in Texas if not in the country.  One psychic claimed
to have counted at least 49 different spirits in the building.  The
investigations are not complete and will continue for some time hopefully
with more proof of the restless spirits.
The Baker is a grand old structure with thousands of stories of
people during   tragic as well as wonderful times in American history.
There is no doubt that many people traveled through the building
during their last days searching for some medicinal cure for a terrible
illness.
Many soldiers stationed at Ft. Wolters were known to visit the hotel
for one last good time before shipping out to fight and die in World
War II, Korea, and Viet Nam.
Yes, the old Baker was a place of good times during bad ones.  Once
the playground for wealthy Texas cattle barons, oil tycoons, Hollywood
celebrities, and military as well political leaders, the grand old
place sits in decay reminding us of an era long gone.
According to certain experts the building is still basically a structurally
sound facility.  Unfortunately, to completely renovate the building
would take approximately 30 to 55 million dollars. 
With all that said one cant help but look at the once prize hotel
without feeling sadness at the spectacle of decay the Baker now represents.
Like the mighty Titanic, sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor
fading into time, the Baker sits in the middle of Mineral Wells,
slowly wasting away and is a constant reminder of days of grandeur
for a small Texas town.
The hotel, apparently the home of many long gone patrons, who refuse
to check out, may someday become but a memory of days long ago. 
So, if one ever gets the chance to visit the beautiful old place
have respect for those who may still be there.
Though the city of Mineral Wells had seen hard times a new attitude
is beginning to emerge that may hopefully, rekindle the spark of
opportunity that Mineral Wells was once known for.  Tours of the
Baker are performed on weekends during the warmer parts of the year.
   And if you happened to visit the seventh floor of the Baker
Hotel, dont be surprised if you catch the faint smell of a young
ladys perfume as she lurks the old halls in search of a time long
gone.