Colorado City in Mitchell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Seven Wells
(Site Located One Mile South)
Photographed by Richard Denney, April 18, 2014
1. Seven Wells Marker
This area, now covered by Lake Champion, was once the site of springs that originated from underground water which also supplied Champion Creek. They were called wells because the Seven Spring Basins closely resembled man-made wells.
Buffalo tracks cut deep into the creek banks of soft sandstone indicated this was a watering place for great herds of bison. At least four trails crisscrossed the area where north and south Champion Creeks converged.
For hundreds of years Indians also camped here, and in the 1880s a small, early Mitchell County settlement named Artesia grew up at the site of the wells.
Erected 1968 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 4645.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Texas 1936 Centennial Markers and Monuments series list.
Location. 32° 20.092′ N, 100° 49.493′ W. Marker is in Colorado City, Texas, in Mitchell County. It is at the intersection of State Highway 208 and County Route 111, on the right when traveling south on State Highway 208. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Colorado City TX 79512, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Big Country. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Photographed by Richard Denney, April 18, 2014
2. Seven Wells Marker
Marker visible to left, under tree.
Photographed by Richard Denney, April 18, 2014
3. Banks of North Champion Creek
One of the banks of North Champion Creek, south of the marker, where Seven Wells was said to have been located. Photo from SH 208 bridge over North Champion Creek.
Photographed by Richard Denney
4. North and South Champion Creek
While the marker says the springs are now under Lake Champion, during droughts the lake dries up and the springs can be visible. The marker references trails where North and South Champion Creeks converged. During the drought of 2014, aerial photos clearly show the convergence of the creeks at lat/log 32.318391,-100.823943. Photo from FlashEarth.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2014, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,505 times since then and 76 times this year. Last updated on December 26, 2025, by Joe Lotz of Flower Mound, Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 30, 2014, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
