Artesia Wells, TX originated from its namesake artesian wells discovered by cowboy Charlie Wilson in 1896. This sleepy unincorporated community in rural La Salle County was home to just 35 residents in 2000 per census records, a number unchanged since the population was last recorded at a similar level back in 1900. Aided by water from beneath the earth's surface, Artesia Wells became renowned as one of Texas' few spots offering consistent fresh supplies amid the South Llano River lowlands it sits a few miles west of.

Though long inhabited by ancestors of today's Comanche Nation and later hosting a few settlers drawn to its reliable water source, historic Artesia Wells did not develop beyond this small scale due to the vast distances from any roads or towns. The wells lured some homesteaders but isolation limited growth here in these remote brushlands that still surround the modest community eight decades on.