How Monument Springs Got its Name, version II, from the book: "Boone Boys Frontiersmen and their Great Wild West Show" by Clyde D. Boone

In the early 1800's a band of Comanche Indians left Old Mexico, came across the Rio Grande and into New Mexico. When they left the Pecos River travelling northeast across the "Llano Estaco" or the "Stakes Plains", there was no water and no civilization. They were about starved for water when they came upon a small spring with water runningdown a ravine so they made camp and stayed for a long time. They gathered rocks and half west of the spring but on higher ground, they piled the rocks up until they had a monument about twenty feet high. They did this so they could find the springs and water if they wanted to come back. They then drifted north and east across the plains.

Some years later more Indians came by and put up their teepees and had a small village. They stayed until a large bunch of hide hunters appeared over a rise. They took their teepees down, gathered up their ponies and left out northward. That was the last Indians seen in that part of the country and Monument Springs goy its name from the rock monument built by the Indians.

Later on the Hat Ranch built their headquartes on the west side of the spring. They tore down the monument the Indians had buiilt, used the rocks, built a large rock house and rock corrals that still stand Today. Scott and Robinson, of Ft. Worth, Texas owned the Hat Ranch.