The
History Of Glen Rose, Texas
Somervell
County, once famous for its countless natural springs and flowing
wells, was created from about 200-square miles of the southern
portion of Hood County.
Formed
on March 15, 1875, Somervell County was named in honor of General
Alexander Somervell, who fought in the battle of San Jacinto and
later served as a Senator in the first Texas Congress. In 1871,
T.C. Jordan bought the gristmill on the Paluxy River from the
Barnard brothers and purchased other nearby property.
The
present town square was founded from this property, with streets
and lots being divided. Captivated by the surroundings of huge,
lush trees, beautiful flowing twin springs and an abundance of
wild roses and ferns, Mrs. Jordan chose the name "Rose Glen"
for the new site in honor of her native Scotland. The citizens
later voted to call it "Glen Rose".
At
that time, Glen Rose was still in Hood County, with Granbury as
its county seat. Residents of the southern portion of the county
felt Granbury was not centrally located, which led to the forming
of Somervell County and the naming of Glen Rose as its county
seat in 1876. The newly formed county needed a place to hold court,
so it was held in a room of the original Charles Barnard home,
located now across the street from the mill. After recovering
from financial setbacks, construction of the courthouse began
in 1882.
It
was a simple, two-story, hip-roofed structure with a cupola-like
attachment at the top, and a wooden fence surrounding the lawn.
The building was unfortunately devastated by fire in 1893, destroying
most county records prior to that date. Adorned with a mansard
roof and ornamental cresting, a new two-story stone courthouse
with a fireproof vault was erected in the fall of 1893.
The
limestone used for construction came from an area near the Paluxy
River and was hauled to the site by horse and oxen-drawn wagon.
In 1902, the courthouse was again ravaged by nature, this time
by a tornado. No attempt was ever made to completely restore the
tower from the storm that had destroyed the local newspaper building.In
1963 the historical, architectural and cultural value of the building
received Texas Historical Landmark status in the form of a Texas
State Historical Medallion. The National Register of Historic
Places entered the courthouse and Barnard's Mill into its registry
in 1980.
Somervell
County government and its one and only town fell on hard times
in the years since its formation. With the railroads and industry
passing them by, the only viable source of revenue was from agriculture.
Tourism flourished but was not a substantial revenue source.
Texas
Utilities began the construction of Squaw Creek Reservoir and
the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station in Somervell County in
the early 1970s. Representing much needed tax dollars; this was
just what the county had wished for. Using the advise of the Texas
Historical Commission and the Somervell County Historical Commission,
the courthouse was completely renovated and restored, and professionally
landscaped.
The
building was rededicated on October 31, 1987. The citizens of
Glen Rose and Somervell County have indeed shown a quality of
character, combining courage and staying power. Glen Rose, population
2,400, is one of the premier locations for living the "Rural
American Life Style."
Glen
Rose is the Threshold of the infamous "Texas Hill Country."
The City of Glen Rose is the only city in Somervell County. Somervell
County is the second smallest county in Texas. However, our location
is in the Fort Worth metropolitan region that represents a 1.1
million-area population for shopping, services, culture, business
and leisure.
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Information by http://www.visitglenrose.com
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