Old Town Spring Fountain - Spring, TX - Fountains on Waymarking.com

A small free-standing Spanish style fountain can be found on a patio and sitting area at the Western entrance to Old Town Spring, a small historic district with over 150 shops, restaurants, and art galleries located within the city of Spring, Texas (just north of Houston). The patio and a Texas historical marker on site mark the intersection of Main Street and Gentry Street, the two main driveways through this little tourist and shopping area.

A brief history of Old Town Spring, per Wikipedia:

The population in the Old Town Spring area started growing in the early 19th century when the Spanish and French came to trade with the local Akokisa (Orcoquisac) Indians. Back then, the town's name, "Old Town Spring," is said to have originated after one of the worst winters in Texas history when a group of tired railroad workers were so happy at the approach of spring that they named their new camp "Camp Spring." The small town grew consistently until the early 20th century. At one time the town had as many as 5 saloons and a gambling hall. The town thrived on the booming railroad business in South Texas and resulting industrialization.

After the Depression, Prohibition, and a relocation of the railroad headquarters, the small town slowly declined in population until Houston's Oil boom in the 1970s and 1980s brought merchants back to the area to make the town what it is today.

This town is rumored to be known for being a robbery victim of Bonnie and Clyde. Though the bank building still has bullet holes from several robberies in the 1920s and 1930s.

The nearby Texas historical marker provides a little bit more background as well:

Initially a farming community supported by crops, including sugar cane and cotton, Spring was platted by the Houston & Great Northern Railroad in 1873. That same year, Callahan Pickette became the town's first postmaster. In its early years, Spring served as a commercial center for the surrounding area. It was also a focal point for German settlers, including Carl Wunsche, who was prominent in the town's development. The area still has a strong German heritage. A new rail line reached Spring in the early 20th century and, with a roundhouse and railway shops, the town grew in importance as a rail center. Developer R.l. Robinson subdivided land south of the original town, and the commercial area shifted to accommodate the rail junction. The railroads facilitated the development of the lumber industry; Spring boasted a number of mills, both large and small, in the boom era of lumber production. With the boom came the need for new businesses, including hotels, saloons, an opera house, gambling houses, a hospital and a bank. In 1907, residents established the Spring Independent School District. The loss of the roundhouse and the onset of Prohibition led to population decline, and the saloons, hotels, and other rail-supported businesses closed in the 1920s. Still, the dwindling community persisted, creating a volunteer fire department in the 1950s and sustaining its school district, which integrated in the mid-1960s. As the population began to grow again in the early 1970s, new businesses opened, including many specialty shops. With its proximity to a growing urban center and, itself an area commercial center, Spring continues to attract new residents and businesses but retains its unique identity and its link to its early history.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/27/2021 Huff-Suter visited it 10/28/2017 Raven visited it

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