LegacyWhile working on his property in rural Keller in 1984, Joe McCombs not only found spring water, but also discovered an important link to local history. The pure natural springs he discovered that day was the original site of the circa 1845 settlement of Double Springs, Texas.
The settlement was later renamed Keller for the railroad boss who promised to establish a depot if the town would bear his name. The settlers of Double Springs gradually migrated three miles south to be near the railroad depot. The springs themselves, abandoned and silted in, disappeared into the surrounding land, creating a soggy topography deemed unfit for development until McCombs’ discovery. Today this bubbling local treasure gives up more than 200,000 gallons of pure spring water a day. McCombs built a rustic gristmill over the gurgling springs, as well as a pipeline to the current site of the Bulk Station and the custom label bottling plant in downtown Keller, Texas. McCombs is working hard to realize his dream of sharing the history and the treasure of the springs with fellow Texans. He renamed them “Samantha Springs” in 1993 in memory of his beloved three year old daughter, Samantha, who died waiting for a heart transplant. It is fitting that he has rededicated his life to helping the people of Texas get healthiest water possible at a truly affordable value. |
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