Magic Fingers Motel Massager

Magic Fingers Motel Massager

During the twilight of the fifties, the Englander Company manufactured a commercial sleeping slab with a mechanical vibrator at its core. One of their top salesman, John Houghtaling (HUFF-tay-ling), peddled the unit to customers in the lodging industry. When a number of clients complained that the buzz boxes were burning out, he took it upon himself to find out why. For almost two years, he conducted a relentless campaign of under-the-bed research. Mattresses were dissected, bedsprings analyzed, and motors monitored. After disassembling the mysterious motion transducer and studying its intricate workings, he discovered…continue reading →
Crazy Water in Mineral Wells

Crazy Water in Mineral Wells

Today, the remnants of a once booming mineral water business can still be seen in the town of Mineral Wells, Texas. Originally built as a seven-story luxury resort, the Crazy Hotel is now a retirement home; the Milling Sanitarium a VFW hall, and the towering Baker Hotel—once the playground of screen stars, crooners, and oilmen—sits abandoned, a silent reminder of the times when the healing waters flowed. When James Lynch arrived on this site in 1877, there was little indication that this area would one day become a magnet for visitors. Although the…continue reading →