Somervell County, Texas
Encyclopedia
There were 2,438 households out of which 37.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples
living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,404, and the median income for a family was $46,458. Males had a median income of $32,463 versus $23,381 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,367. About 6.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.30% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.
tribe Anadarko
villages were scattered along Trinity
and Brazos
Rivers. The Caddo tribe of Wichita
also inhabited the area. The Anadarko became entangled with the French battles with the Spanish
and later the Anglos and suffered the consequences, including diseases for which they had no immunity. By 1860, these tribes moved to Oklahoma
.
The Tonkawa
were hunter-gatherers of the area, and often traded with their allies the Caddo and Karankawa
. Like the Wichita, Karankawa and Jumano
, the Tonkawa tattooed their bodies and faces. Friendly with the white settlers, Tonkawa were employed as scouts for the Texas Rangers and United States Army
. As they were pushed out by the Comanche
, they moved to the Brazos Indian Reservation, and later to Oklahoma
Comanche
bands continued depredations on settlers until their removal to Oklahoma after 1875.
became the county seat.
Torrey Trading Houses opened as a part of the Sam Houston
peace policy to develop friendly relationships with native tribes. They bought from, and sold to, the Indians on a banking and credit system, enabling them to also recover stolen horses and human captives. The Torreys sold their business to George Barnard in 1848, who with his brother Charles moved the Tehuacana
store in Limestone County
to near Comanche Peak. Juana Josefina Cavazos had been captured by Comanches as a teenager. She was daughter of Maria Josefa Cavazos, and granddaughter of Don José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez-Hildago who in 1792 received the largest land grant in Texas. George ransomed Juana from the tribe, but it was brother Charles who married her in 1848.
Somervell County got its first courthouse in Glen Rose in 1882, but the courthouse and all county records burned in 1893.
The second and current courthouse was built in 1894 by architect John McCormick. The roof and clock tower were damaged in the 1902 Glen Rose tornado. County funds at the time limited the repair, which eliminated the clock tower. In 1986, work was done to restore the structure to its original design.
Glen Rose Collegiate Institute, AKA Glen Rose College, operated as a private faith-based educational facility from 1889 to 1910. Educational competition from the public school system caused enrollment to taper off until the institution was shut down.
Under the Works Progress Administration
, Glen rose built a new water and sewage system, as well as school buildings, a canning plant and low-water dams.
The Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant went online in the mid 1970's and employs over 1,000 people. Squaw Creek Reservoir
which provides cooling water for the power plant, also has become a popular recreation site.
flood in 1908 uncovered 3-toed prints from the Cretaceous
period, possibly Acrocanthosaurus
, and were discovered by high school student George Adams in the limestone river bed. The teenager related the discovery to his principal Robert McDonald. Adams later ended up selling self-manufactured fake "giant man tracks" to tourists sometime during the 1930s, sparking a debate about whether or not humans existed along side dinosaurs. In 1934, resident Charlie Moss discovered footprints of 4-toed sauropods
. Resident Jim Ryals dug out the actual dinosaur prints and sold them to tourists. Paleontologist Roland T. Bird of the American Museum of Natural History
in New York spotted the Adams "giant man tracks" in a tourist shop in Gallup, New Mexico
, and, while recognizing them as fakes, was still intrigued enough to travel to Somervell County to see the Glen Rose area for himself. Bird's visit resulted in a 2-year WPA
project to uncover the dinosaur prints. The American Museum of Natural History, the University of Texas, the Smithsonian Institution
, and several local museums retain samples of what are said to be the best-preserved tracks in the United States.
The land along the Paluxy River for Dinosaur Valley State Park
was purchased by the State of Texas in 1968, and the park opened to the public in 1972.
-Fort Worth
and the Waco
/Temple
/Killeen
(Central Texas
) Metropolitan areas.
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,404, and the median income for a family was $46,458. Males had a median income of $32,463 versus $23,381 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $18,367. About 6.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.30% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.
Native Americans
CaddoCaddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
tribe Anadarko
Nadaco
The Nadaco, also commonly known as the Anadarko, are a Native American tribe from eastern Texas. Their name, Nadá-kuh, means "bumblebee place."-History:The Nadaco were part of the Hasinai branch of the Caddo Confederacy....
villages were scattered along Trinity
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
and Brazos
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
Rivers. The Caddo tribe of Wichita
Wichita (tribe)
The Wichita people are indigenous inhabitants of North America, who traditionally spoke the Wichita language, a Caddoan language. They have lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas...
also inhabited the area. The Anadarko became entangled with the French battles with the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
and later the Anglos and suffered the consequences, including diseases for which they had no immunity. By 1860, these tribes moved to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
The Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
were hunter-gatherers of the area, and often traded with their allies the Caddo and Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
. Like the Wichita, Karankawa and Jumano
Suma-Jumano
The Suma and the Jumano were people in western Sonora and Trans-Pecos region of western Texas. The Suma was the western division and the Jumano were the eastern division.-History:...
, the Tonkawa tattooed their bodies and faces. Friendly with the white settlers, Tonkawa were employed as scouts for the Texas Rangers and United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. As they were pushed out by the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, they moved to the Brazos Indian Reservation, and later to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
bands continued depredations on settlers until their removal to Oklahoma after 1875.
County established
The county was formed and organized in 1875 from Hood County. The town of Glen RoseGlen Rose, Texas
Glen Rose is a city in Somervell County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Somervell County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,444. Glen Rose is part of the Granbury micropolitan area.-19th century:...
became the county seat.
Torrey Trading Houses opened as a part of the Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
peace policy to develop friendly relationships with native tribes. They bought from, and sold to, the Indians on a banking and credit system, enabling them to also recover stolen horses and human captives. The Torreys sold their business to George Barnard in 1848, who with his brother Charles moved the Tehuacana
Tehuacana, Texas
Tehuacana is a town in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 307 at the 2000 census. From 1869 until 1902, the town was home to Trinity University.-Geography:Tehuacana is located at ....
store in Limestone County
Limestone County, Texas
Limestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
to near Comanche Peak. Juana Josefina Cavazos had been captured by Comanches as a teenager. She was daughter of Maria Josefa Cavazos, and granddaughter of Don José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez-Hildago who in 1792 received the largest land grant in Texas. George ransomed Juana from the tribe, but it was brother Charles who married her in 1848.
Somervell County got its first courthouse in Glen Rose in 1882, but the courthouse and all county records burned in 1893.
The second and current courthouse was built in 1894 by architect John McCormick. The roof and clock tower were damaged in the 1902 Glen Rose tornado. County funds at the time limited the repair, which eliminated the clock tower. In 1986, work was done to restore the structure to its original design.
Glen Rose Collegiate Institute, AKA Glen Rose College, operated as a private faith-based educational facility from 1889 to 1910. Educational competition from the public school system caused enrollment to taper off until the institution was shut down.
Under the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, Glen rose built a new water and sewage system, as well as school buildings, a canning plant and low-water dams.
The Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant went online in the mid 1970's and employs over 1,000 people. Squaw Creek Reservoir
Squaw Creek Reservoir
Squaw Creek Reservoir is an 3,275 acre impoundment located between Glen Rose, Texas and Granbury, Texas. The primary purpose is cooling for Comanche Peak Nuclear Generating Station...
which provides cooling water for the power plant, also has become a popular recreation site.
Dinosaurs
The tragic Paluxy RiverPaluxy River
The Paluxy River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a tributary of the Brazos River. It is formed by the convergence of the North Paluxy River and the South Paluxy River near Bluff Dale, Texas in Erath County and flows a distance of before joining the Brazos just to the east of Glen...
flood in 1908 uncovered 3-toed prints from the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period, possibly Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Like most dinosaur genera, Acrocanthosaurus contains only a single species, A. atokensis. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the U.S...
, and were discovered by high school student George Adams in the limestone river bed. The teenager related the discovery to his principal Robert McDonald. Adams later ended up selling self-manufactured fake "giant man tracks" to tourists sometime during the 1930s, sparking a debate about whether or not humans existed along side dinosaurs. In 1934, resident Charlie Moss discovered footprints of 4-toed sauropods
Sauropoda
Sauropoda , or the sauropods , are an infraorder of saurischian dinosaurs. They had long necks, long tails, small heads , and thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land...
. Resident Jim Ryals dug out the actual dinosaur prints and sold them to tourists. Paleontologist Roland T. Bird of the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in New York spotted the Adams "giant man tracks" in a tourist shop in Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup, New Mexico
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 20,209 people, 6,810 households, and 4,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,513.7 people per square mile...
, and, while recognizing them as fakes, was still intrigued enough to travel to Somervell County to see the Glen Rose area for himself. Bird's visit resulted in a 2-year WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
project to uncover the dinosaur prints. The American Museum of Natural History, the University of Texas, the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, and several local museums retain samples of what are said to be the best-preserved tracks in the United States.
The land along the Paluxy River for Dinosaur Valley State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park
- History :Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just northwest of Glen Rose in Somervell County, is a scenic park set astride the Paluxy River. The land for the park was acquired from private owners under the State Parks Bonds Program during 1968 and opened to the public in 1972...
was purchased by the State of Texas in 1968, and the park opened to the public in 1972.
Local media
Two newspapers have offices located in Somervell County the Glen Rose Reporter and the Glen Rose Newspaper. The Somervell County Salon is a local blog that has video and audio of local meetings. Local Television stations that provide coverage for the area are from the DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and the Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
/Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
/Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
(Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
) Metropolitan areas.
Cities and towns
- Glen RoseGlen Rose, TexasGlen Rose is a city in Somervell County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Somervell County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,444. Glen Rose is part of the Granbury micropolitan area.-19th century:...
- NemoNemo, TexasNemo is an unincorporated community in eastern Somervell County, Texas, United States. It is located at the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 199 and 200 and had a population of 56 in 1990. The community is part of the Granbury micropolitan area....
(unincorporated) - Glass (unincorporated)
- RainbowRainbow, TexasRainbow is an unincorporated community in Somervell County, Texas, United States. It is located on Farm Road 200, four miles northeast of Glen Rose. The community is part of the Granbury, Texas Micropolitan Statistical Area....
(unincorporated)
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Somervell County, Texas