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BIG SPRING,
TEXAS
"The Main Spring
of West Texas"
Howard County
Seat, Texas Panhandle*/
West Texas
32° 14' 36" N, 101° 28' 31" W (32.243333, -101.475278)
US I-20 (US 80), US 87
Hwy 350, FM 700
Hwy 176
40 miles NE of Midland,
59 miles NE of Odessa,
via I-20
86 miles NW of San
Angelo via 87
108 miles W of Abilene
via I-20
106 miles S of Lubbock
via US 87
ZIP codes 79720-79721
Area code 432
Population: 28,187 Est. (2019)
27,282 (2010) 25,233 (2000) 23,093 (1990)
Book Hotel Here › Big
Spring Hotels |
The Texas &
Pacific Depot, circa 1896
Courtesy
Doyle Phillips / FotoGrafica |
Big Spring,
Texas History
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Big
Spring in Brief
by Doyle Phillips
Big Spring has long been known as the crossroads of West
Texas. The ancient spring
for which the town was named attracted prehistoric people, Amerinds,
Spaniards, Mexicans and Anglos. The fascinating Comanche 'War Trail'
to Mexico branched at the spring.
Old tales are legion and photographic documentation is extensive.
Early explorers and cartographers noted the 'big spring of
the Colorado River'. In 1839, Dr. Henry Connelly, a trader
from Chihuahua, Mexico successfully led a huge caravan with a fortune
in silver to Fort Towson, Oklahoma, stopping midway at the spring.
U.S. Army Captain R.B. Marcy in 1849 lauded the beauty of the
place and one of his Indian guides, Manuel, said that his brother-in-law
died in a battle between Indians at the spring, fifteen years earlier.
Official reports of Texas Rangers and U.S. Cavalry frequently mention
the Big Spring.
When the town was formed about 1880 it consisted of canvas
dwellings and a noticeable predominance of saloons. The citizenry
was hard to tame; in the 1880 census Texas Rangers outnumbered citizens.
Large mercantile stores were established to supply regional ranches
of the Staked Plains. The Texas & Pacific Railroad hauled in
materials of all kinds and took away cars full of cattle and buffalo
bones for eastern markets. Railway workers contributed much to the
culture of the thriving metropolis.
Two major highways were eventually constructed and prosperity continued.
Fine hotels went up to accommodate commercial travelers and tourists
from all over the world. Three airlines hubbed at the Big Spring
Air Terminal - all in time for the massive discovery of oil in
almost every part of Howard County. Even the Depression failed to
kill the economy, or at least it seemed to be felt less. For a time
there were four oil refineries located in the town.
Cotton farming thrived. Many gins were built in several communities
throughout the county. At the beginning of World War II the
substantial Big Spring Army Air Base was laid out and thus
brought in new culture and new money. Big Spring and Howard County
residents enlisted in the military services in unusually high numbers.
Music-making was an integral and large part of Big Spring area
life from the beginning. Honky-tonks promoted many soon-to-be-famous
performers. A magnificent municipal auditorium and city park with
a unique amphitheater provided the stages for popular musical shows.
At one time Big Spring was reputed to have more Protestant churches
than any place in the U.S., per capita. The population of the city
once reached 35,000.
Big Spring Today
Skipping to the present, the town is now about 23,000 with a large
part of the economy based on public-sector institutions, such as prisons,
a regional VA Hospital and a state mental hospital. Although the decline
in oil revenues has dramatically affected the entire region, employment
rate is high and cost-of-living relatively low. New business ventures
are encouraged by city government policies.
© Doyle Phillips
Big
Spring Hotels › Book Here
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A Big Spring Service Station c.1948
Photo
courtesy Doyle Phillips / FotoGrafica |
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Big
Spring with The Settles Hotel in the center
Photo courtesy of Doyle Phillips / FotoGrafica |
Big Spring,
Texas
Landmarks / Attractions / Photos
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The
Spring - The town's namesake. next page
Howard
County Courthouses next page
Settles
Hotel next page
Hanger
25 Air Museum:
www.hanger25.com
A museum of the Big Spring Army Air Corps Bombardier School (its
purpose during WWII)
and Webb AFB (1955-1977).
Potton
House (circa 1901):
Second Street and Gregg - one of West
Texas' best examples of Victorian architecture. Red sandstone
construction with vintage furnishings.
Heritage Museum:
510 Scurry Street. Local History
Big Spring
State Park:
On the southern edge of the city, this 340 acre park offers a scenic
view of the city.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us.htm
City Park:
400 acres downtown, including the Comanche Trail Amphitheater and
the spring that is the town's
namesake.
Moss
Spring Centennial Marker -
About nine miles SE of Big Spring near Moss Lake.
Big
Spring Hotels > Book Here
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Stampede Dance
Hall, opened May 8, 1954, Home of Hoyle Nix
Jimmy
Dobson Photo, August 2017 |
Potton House
200 Gregg St. (US 87)
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Terry
Jeanson, June 2006 photo |
Historical Marker:
Potton House
Joseph Potton (1847-1920), a native of England and master mechanic
for Texas & Pacific Railroad, built this Victorian residence in 1901.
Designed by the Fort Worth firm of S. B. Haggart and Son, the house
was constructed of Pecos sandstone with iron pillars and zinc gable
decorations. Potton, a school board trustee, and his wife occupied
the home after he retired in 1912 and often entertained here. Later
their daughter, Mrs. Henry R. Hayden, and her family resided here.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976. |
State National
Bank Building
400 Main Street, Big Spring
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009 |
Historical Marker:
First National Bank in Big Spring
Chartered on April 19, 1890, the First National Bank of Big Spring
opened for business on the first floor of a two-story building at
the northwest corner of Second and Clinton (now Main) streets with
an initial capital of $50,000. The post office occupied the south
side of the building until 1927; the remaining space was rented to
a variety of tenants. West Texas National Bank, chartered on February
28, 1903, opened in a building on the northeast corner of Second and
Main, and in 1909 began construction of a new building on the southeast
corner of Second and Main. The 1920s were prosperous years for the
local banks, but the Depression of the 1930s brought hard times to
both institutions. In 1934 the two banks merged and became the First
National Bank in Big Spring. The new institution occupied the former
West Texas National Bank building at the southeast corner of Second
and Main. In 1963 the bank moved to new facilities at the southwest
corner of Fourth and Main. Pioneer ranching families involved with
the early banks and the merger made a lasting contribution to the
growth and prosperity of Big Spring.
(1990) |
 |
Notice the sign
changed from First to State
TE Photo,
2001 |
State National
Bank Building architectural details
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009 |
State National
Bank Building
TE Photo,
2001 |
Big Spring Cemetery
Funeral Chapel
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2007 |
Ritz Theater
Photo courtesy Don Lewis |
Palmer House
Photo
courtesy Wes Reeves
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The
Crawford Hotel
Courtesy
Doyle Phillips / FotoGrafica |
Big Spring Public
School
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
More Texas
Schoolhouses |
Post office in
Big Spring. "An Air Mail Hub of West Texas"
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
More Texas
Post Offices |
Nearby
Destinations
I-20 West
39 miles to Midland,
another 20 miles west to Odessa.
Hwy 87 South
86 miles to San
Angelo.
FM 33 south
about 25 miles to Garden
City.
Big Spring Chamber of Commerce:
215 W. 3rd Street 915-263-7641
Website: www.bigspringtx.com
Big
Spring Hotels › Book Here
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Moss
Spring Centennial Marker ›
40 or 50 years ago the Moss Spring Centennial Marker was easily reached
from the north side of Moss Lake. It was a well known swimming hole
during WWII where airmen training at the local Army Air Field came
on weekends with their wives and girl friends to swim and hike to
the distant Signal Mountain...
Photo Courtesy Barclay
Gibson, January 2010 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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Texas
Escapes wishes to thank Doyle Phillips for the loan of photos from
his collection and for writing the Big Spring history. Mr. Phillips
is the author of numerous books on West Texas and Big Spring in
particular. About Doyle
Phillips and more vintage photos
*Texas Department of Transportation
includes Howard County in the Panhandle Plains
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