Ty for sharing this. Hard to believe how much better things were built back then. That fire door was amazing to still roll. I'm sure you had to unstick it but it lasted this long
Your reverence for this building is really cool. “She earned her keep, she stays.” I am loving this rabbit hole I have discovered tonight! Having been born when this building shut its doors, I hope my 52nd birthday takes place soaking in that Crazy Water. Thank you for the time spent bringing her back.
I can’t wait to see it. Will be my first time to ever see the inside of this place when you get her open. It was closed before I was born. Thank you so much for doing this, saving a town’s history and for surrounding areas to see this wonderful hotel in all it’s renewed glory.
I am beyond excited about this. Everytime I drove by this building it spoke to me. It deserves this so much! Thank you so much for doing this. I can't wait to come stay.
Mark, thank you SO much for this tour. I'm one of those geeks that's as interested in the infrastructure as I am the architecture . Nice job of showing us around.
Mr. Baker probably went to the Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, Calif. as they also had an Olympic size swimming pool in front of the Hotel built in 1947.
@@nivision When was the pool installed at the Baker Hotel? The Mission Inn Hotel sadly had their Olympic Pool removed (and a small walking pool installed) when they restored the Hotel in the late 1980's and early 1990's. It seems insurance costs for a fully supported swimming pool are very high and many pools have been either removed or smaller walking pools installed The 1984 Olympic swimming teams stated and practiced at the Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, Calif. when the 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles..
@@richardmcleod1930 during original construction. went checking for what hotel in California it was, could not find, but here's a more professionally written version than my pulling from memory. "Construction began on the hotel in 1926, but was stopped after Mr. Baker made a trip to California, where he visited a hotel with a swimming pool, and decided the new Baker Hotel must have one in the front of the hotel. The swimming pool was placed on top of an already-completed basement, which was used as a work area for the hotel and a changing area for guests. An Olympic-sized pool to be filled with the curing mineral waters, it was the first swimming pool built at a hotel in Texas."
There was a time (around WWII) when even of you were on grid it was actually cheaper to make your own electricity. Many continued to generate power through the 50s because the grid was not as reliable as it is today, especially in rural areas. I had a friend who tended a power plant in town here in that time frame and he had quite a few stories on how his units supplied an apartment complex and the local grocery store for just a few cents per Kw, when going rate was 3-4 cents from the utility company. His stuff was early diesel powered and consisted of two plants so you could shut one down for maintenance... usually on a weekend. The engines also provided heat for hot water and a supplement to the boilers in the winter. The utility room under the apartment still exists and I have been in there a few times over the years.
Hello Mark, I am glad you post these videos I just came across my uncles registration card that list he was employed at the Baker hotel. My uncle was born in 1927.
you do know that there is absolutely no work going on in the hotel right now. Everything these people are telling you is complete bullshit. This hotel will never open
People will flock here when it opens!! And then slowly die again!! Nothing to do in this Town.. In a fast pace world it won't ever work.People have to be have something to do every second , they can't even put their phone away!! This won't work..
This man KNOWS what he is talking about!
Great that he is on the restoration staff.
The basement and its mechanics of the hotel reminds me of the basement and mechanics of my abandoned elementary school.
Thank you sir. I have added a stay at the Baker to my bucket list. I'm 74 so I'll still be young enough to enjoy it in 2024.
Ty for sharing this. Hard to believe how much better things were built back then. That fire door was amazing to still roll.
I'm sure you had to unstick it but it lasted this long
Your reverence for this building is really cool. “She earned her keep, she stays.” I am loving this rabbit hole I have discovered tonight! Having been born when this building shut its doors, I hope my 52nd birthday takes place soaking in that Crazy Water. Thank you for the time spent bringing her back.
TB Baker was truly a man of genius. The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells was like a city in of itself. So glad she is coming back Mark....
I can’t wait to see it. Will be my first time to ever see the inside of this place when you get her open. It was closed before I was born. Thank you so much for doing this, saving a town’s history and for surrounding areas to see this wonderful hotel in all it’s renewed glory.
I am beyond excited about this. Everytime I drove by this building it spoke to me. It deserves this so much! Thank you so much for doing this. I can't wait to come stay.
I love this! I'm always fascinated by basements in old buildings! Thanks for the fun tour!
It’s cool to be able to finally see the basement. When my wife and I went through the Baker (on an authorized tour) in 2000 it was completely flooded.
Mark, thank you SO much for this tour. I'm one of those geeks that's as interested in the infrastructure as I am the architecture . Nice job of showing us around.
Mr. Baker probably went to the Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, Calif. as they also had an Olympic size swimming pool in front of the Hotel built in 1947.
the Baker was built in the 20s.
@@nivision When was the pool installed at the Baker Hotel? The Mission Inn Hotel sadly had their Olympic Pool removed (and a small walking pool installed) when they restored the Hotel in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
It seems insurance costs for a fully supported swimming pool are very high and many pools have been either removed or smaller walking pools installed
The 1984 Olympic swimming teams stated and practiced at the Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, Calif. when the 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles..
@@richardmcleod1930 during original construction. went checking for what hotel in California it was, could not find, but here's a more professionally written version than my pulling from memory.
"Construction began on the hotel in 1926, but was stopped after Mr. Baker made a trip to California, where he visited a hotel with a swimming pool, and decided the new Baker Hotel must have one in the front of the hotel. The swimming pool was placed on top of an already-completed basement, which was used as a work area for the hotel and a changing area for guests. An Olympic-sized pool to be filled with the curing mineral waters, it was the first swimming pool built at a hotel in Texas."
There was a time (around WWII) when even of you were on grid it was actually cheaper to make your own electricity. Many continued to generate power through the 50s because the grid was not as reliable as it is today, especially in rural areas. I had a friend who tended a power plant in town here in that time frame and he had quite a few stories on how his units supplied an apartment complex and the local grocery store for just a few cents per Kw, when going rate was 3-4 cents from the utility company. His stuff was early diesel powered and consisted of two plants so you could shut one down for maintenance... usually on a weekend. The engines also provided heat for hot water and a supplement to the boilers in the winter. The utility room under the apartment still exists and I have been in there a few times over the years.
Can't wait!! You should have tours of the basement.
Haven't seen any updates in a while. Is the project still going? I sure hope so!
I remember me and my buddys going their making some the best memories, God Bless for making this piece of history thrive again.
Really cool. Can’t wait to see this place up and running again.
Amazing tour.🤓👍
Thank you so much for all your doing and sharing it with us
Hello Mark, I am glad you post these videos I just came across my uncles registration card that list he was employed at the Baker hotel. My uncle was born in 1927.
I am so excited! Each update is making me just that much more ready to stay!
you do know that there is absolutely no work going on in the hotel right now. Everything these people are telling you is complete bullshit. This hotel will never open
@pappy7170 I haven't seen any updates in over a year. Looks like there's work going on when I drove by a couple of months ago.
I cannot wait to come stay!
My grandmother used to work there.
That was AWESOME!
Maybe the Famous Company can do a special bottle from the Baker Well? I'd buy it. Thanks!
Awesome!
Can we get a tour tour of the reception rooms please
What is the expected completion date?
Are you keeping the original boilers?
What a nastiest basement! And, I hope that you will get rid tackiest pipe rear of hotel.
How many tons of debris was removed?
hi nice video i know jane catric would love to have seen what you did to her hotel. i would like to get a shirt from you
Have to give it to Texans, they don't play games when it come to property and waste. Putting all that Oil money to work.
If y'all ain't going to go back the way Mr Baker had it then don't work on it at all, because he will come back to his hotel
Copper long gone from that beautiful place :(
People will flock here when it opens!! And then slowly die again!! Nothing to do in this Town.. In a fast pace world it won't ever work.People have to be have something to do every second , they can't even put their phone away!! This won't work..
I'm with you. I can't believe someone's spending money to restore this place.