Originally Posted on Cy-Fair Real Estate

If you are looking at an area map of Cypress on Bing Maps, you will notice that right underneath the name “Cypress” is the name “Hot Wells” right at the location of the current Hot Wells Shooting Range.

Finding it strange that a shooting range would get such preferential treatment on Bing, I did some research.  It turns out that “Hot Wells” used to be the location of the “Houston Hot Well Sanitarium and Hotel” which was a popular resort and destination spot for Houstonians between the early 1900s through the 1950s.

It all began in 1904 when wildcatters lost their drill bit while looking for oil in Cypress. During a two-week search for their tool, they discovered a hot artesian well. A two-story hotel was built near the artesian well with two large concrete basins to hold the water—the beginning of the Houston Hot Well Hotel and Sanitarium. The mineral waters were said to heal the sick and bring general good health to all that bathed in them.

It all began in 1904 when wildcatters lost their drill bit while looking for oil in Cypress. During a two-week search for their tool, they discovered a hot artesian well. A two-story hotel was built near the artesian well with two large concrete basins to hold the water—the beginning of the Houston Hot Well Hotel and Sanitarium. The mineral waters were said to heal the sick and bring general good health to all that bathed in them.

Courtesy ImpactNews

The hotel also had a dancing / bingo hall and later added an olympic sized swimming pool with diving boards.

Unfortunately, the hotel burned down in the 1950s and the artesian springs stopped flowing completely in 1981.  If you look at the satellite image using Google or Bing maps, you can see what appear to be the remnants of the original concrete basins.

The Houstorian Blog also had an article on the old Hot Wells Hotel a couple of years ago.