The Historical Significance of your Spring

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The Historical Significance of your Spring

Your spring, whether large or just a trickle, probably played a role in the early habitation of Texas. Many spring owners report finding artifacts near their springs, and archaeologists generally surmise that the earliest Texans drank from, camped at, or lived by most Texas springs.

Springs all over the state were important sources of water for native Americans, as well as the guideposts for many of their trails. These same springs determined many early european explorer routes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, locations of transportation routes, including supply and stage coach lines, and military outposts and ranches were largely determined by the presence of the dependable water supply provided by springs. They also provided watering holes for later cattle drives.

The importance of springs to Indians is exemplified by the Davis Hackberry Spring in Sterling County. This small oasis in an otherwise dry setting of mesquite, prickly pear, yucca, and grasses contains artifacts from the Late Archaic period (ca. 1000-300 B.C.), the Late prehistoric period (ca. A.d. 700-1600), and the Historic period (after A.1600). The spring was probably used as a seasonal bison-hunting camp, as evidenced by the numerous artifacts, and perhaps as a trading center for several nomadic tribes.

Early European settlements were often centered around spring waters (Big Spring, dripping Springs, Carrizo Springs, Richland Springs, Hughes Springs, Sulphur Springs, etc.). Many health spas flourished round springs in the 1800s. Historically, homes were often built near a spring; sometimes the ruins of old homes, barns, and equipment offer poignant evidence of a former way of life. As springs failed, communities and homesteads were often abandoned.

Your local county historical commission (ask your county clerk for members’ names) and/or your county museum may be useful for historical information. Gunnar Brune’s book, ‘Springs of Texas,’ Volume I, also contains historical information about the springs he visited. This is available through Texas A&M University Press or your local library.