History / Natural landmark
Salado Springs and the Chisholm Trail in Bell County
The Salado Springs in southern Bell County are artesian springs that were a major water stop on the Chisholm Trail cattle drives from the 1860s through 1885.
Salado Creek in southern Bell County begins at a series of artesian springs in the Balcones fault zone. Artesian springs push water up through cracked rock under natural ground pressure. The springs at Salado ran strong enough to make it one of the most reliable water sources on the Texas frontier. Indigenous peoples used them for thousands of years before Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1700s.
After the Civil War, the main road through Salado became a route Texas cattle drovers used on the Chisholm Trail. They drove herds north to Kansas railheads, and the springs gave the cattle a place to drink. A stone wall was reportedly built around Big Boiling Spring during this time to keep the cattle away from the source.
In 1966, Salado Creek was named Texas's first state natural landmark. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook at tshaonline.org has full entries on Salado Springs and the Chisholm Trail.
Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook – Salado Springs