Somervell County, Texas

Somervell County is located in North Central Texas, surrounded by Hood County to the north, Johnson County to the east, Bosque County to the south and Erath County to the west. Glen Rose, the county seat, is located 54 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Cities, Towns and Communities

Chalk Mountain | Cottonwood | George’s Creek | Glass | Glen Rose – county seat | Lanham Mill | Nemo (Johnson Station) | Post Oak | Rainbow | Rock Creek | Wilcox

History

More than 100 million years ago dinosaurs roamed the area that is now Somervell County. The Paluxy River has some of the best-preserved tracks found in the continental United States. Local efforts to protect and preserve tracks imbedded along the river resulted in the foundation of Dinosaur Valley State Park, a 1,523-acre facility formally dedicated in 1970. The first permanent Anglo settler was Charles E. Barnard, who established an Indian trading post in the late 1840s with his brother, George Barnard. Barnard’s Mill, built in 1860, was the first building at the site that is now Glen Rose. During most of the 1850s and early 1860s the Barnard’s Mill settlement was a part of Johnson County. In 1866 the area was included in a new county, Hood, marked off entirely from Johnson County. Somervell County was established in 1875, when residents in southern Hood and northern Bosque counties petitioned for a new county because of their separation from markets and seats of government. The county, taken completely from Hood County, was named for Alexander Somervell, who led an expedition to Mexico under the Republic of Texas. The first and only county seat is Glen Rose, named in 1872. Other early communities included Wilcox, Rainbow, Nemo, and Glass.

Somervell is one of the smallest counties in the state, with a total area of 117,760 acres. This territory was originally comprised in Hood County, and the new county was created March 13, 1875, in response to a petition from residents in North Bosque and South Hood counties. The Brazos River flows through the eastern half of the county, and the topography is one of rocky hills with many small valleys of fertile lands. Though railroads have circled the county on all sides, it is as yet without rail transportation, and its development has consequently been backward. The soil and climate favor the production of fruit and small crops, but farming and stock raising are still the substantial industries. Almost the entire county is underlaid by a basin of artesian water, and there are several hundred artesian wells in the vicinity of Glen Rose.

Somervell County, formed from Johnson and Hood counties. Created March 13, 1875, organized April 12, 1875. Named in honor of Alexander Somervell, 1796-1854, a veteran of San Jacinto. Secretary of War in Burnet’s Cabinet. Senator in first Texas congress. Commander of the Somervell Expedition. Collector of customs at Saluria, 1842-1854. Glen Rose, the County Seat, known in early days as Barnard’s Mill. – Historical Marker Text. Marker erected 1936. Location: 1 mi. E of Glen Rose, US Hwy 67/State Hwy 144

Sketch of Somervell County 1895. Created by act of the Legislature in 1875, this county was organized out of about 200 square miles of territory taken wholly from Hood. At that time N. A. deCornnick was the Glen Rose justice of the peace, and probably officiated as the presiding justice of the first police court for the new county. At the first election under the new constitution, J. H. Chambers was elected county judge, J. H. Montgomery county and district court clerk, John J. McCowan sheriff, Phil Jackson assessor of taxes, Scott Milam treasurer, Wm. G. McCamant surveyor and J. S. Fairly, J. P. of the 1st precinct.

County Histories

Somervell: Story of a Texas County, 1975 by W. C. Nunn.

Somervell County Centennial, 1875–1975, compiled 1975 by the Somervell County Centennial Association, Historical Booklet Committee.

Location

Glen Rose, TX 32° 14′ 4.5132″ N, 97° 45′ 19.1016″ W

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