Possum Kingdom

How Possum Kingdom Lake Got Its Name

Before Mineral Wells, Texas, was established, the region around Possum Kingdom Lake was well exploited by fur traders, and then fur trappers before the 1850s. The region surrounding Hell’s Gate is full of hills and valleys, limestone rock formations, rocky terrain, cactus, and post oak and cedar trees, which provides a luxurious habitat for the opossum species. 

Mineral Wells, Texas, was not established until 1877, but this town became world famous for its healing spring waters bubbling up from the ground or dribbling down rock formations in the early 1900s. One story goes that a fur trader referred to the fur trappers in Palo Pinto County as the "Boys of Possum Kingdom", a name associated with a specific bend on the Brazos River in the area. But, no one knows which bend that is. This story does not produce a date. 

Another story of how Possum Kingdom Lake came to be named revolves around a peddler who came to Mineral Wells in 1906 named Ike Sablosky. Ike came to regain his health by partaking in the healing waters of Mineral Wells. Ike then discovered how lucrative the fur and hide trading business was in the Palo Pinto Mountain range near Mineral Wells. It is said that Ike called his fur suppliers the "Boys of Possum Kingdom" after 1906. At this time, Possum Kingdom became the name for this entire region of the Brazos River, the Palo Pinto Mountain range, and everything in between.