Historical Marker
Juan Cordona Lake
Historical marker location:
201 W. 6th Street, Crane, Texas
( Courthouse Lawn (Corner of 6th & Alford) Crane)
Marker installed: 1965
A natural salt deposit, known and used for the past 300 years. On land grant from Mexico to Juan Cordova; name, misread on maps, is now unique to lake.
Apaches were encountered here by explorers in 1683. From days of early settlers, Mexicans and Anglo-Texans relied on this salt deposit. During the civil war, 1861-1865, a 7-family San Saba wagon train traded watermelons and other goods to Indians here for sorely needed salt.
In 1912-1914 a 36-burro train hauled salt from here. Recently as 1930, commercial shipments went out to Midland and Odessa.