Editing Somervell County, Texas (section)

===County established===

The county was formed and organized in 1875 from [[Hood County, Texas|Hood County]]. The town of Glen Rose became the county seat.

Torrey Trading Houses opened as a part of the [[Sam Houston]] peace policy to develop friendly relationships with native tribes.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Torrey Trading Houses | id= dft02| author=Armbruster, Henry C.| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> 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,<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=George Barnard | id= fba68| author=Willingham, John| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> who with his brother Charles <ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Charles E. Bernard | id= fbabf| author=Andrus, Pearl| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> moved the [[Tehuacana, Texas|Tehuacana]] store in [[Limestone County, Texas|Limestone County]] to near Comanche Peak.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Comanche Peak | id= rjc47| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> [[Juana Josefina Cavasos Barnard]]<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Juana Josefina Cavasos Barnard | id= fbane| author=Orozco, Cynthia E.| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref> had been captured by Comanches as a teenager. She was daughter of Maria Josefa Cavazos,<ref>{{cite web | title=Descendants of Don José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez-Hildago | publisher=Villa de San Agustin-Laredo Genealogy Society  | url=http://www.vsalgs.org/stnemgenealogy/NarcisoCavazos.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040127133857/http://vsalgs.org/stnemgenealogy/NarcisoCavazos.pdf |archive-date=January 27, 2004 |url-status=usurped| access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref> and granddaughter of Don José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez-Hildago who in 1792 received the largest land grant in Texas.<ref>{{cite web| title=San Juan de Carrictios Land Grant| publisher=Texas Historical Markers| url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5489004542| access-date=April 28, 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907104059/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5489004542| archive-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref> George ransomed Juana from the tribe, but his brother Charles married her in 1848.<ref>{{cite web | title=Juana Cavasos Barnard | publisher=Hood County Genealogical Society | url=http://www.granburydepot.org/z/biog/juana.htm| access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref>

Somervell County got its first courthouse in Glen Rose in 1882, but the courthouse and all county records burned in 1893.<ref>{{cite web | title=First Somerville County Courthouse | publisher=Texas Historical Markers | url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5425004978 | access-date=April 28, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314204826/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5425004978 | archive-date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref>
The second and current courthouse was built in 1894 by architect John McCormick.<ref>{{cite web | title=Second Somerville County Courthouse | publisher=Texas Escapes | url=http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsNorth/GlenRoseTexas/SomervellCountyCourthouse.htm| access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref> 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, or 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.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Glen Rose Collegiate Institute | id= kbg11| author=Hart, Brian | retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>

Under the New Deal [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA), Glen Rose built a new water and sewage system in the 1930s, as well as school buildings, a canning plant, and low-water dams.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | name=Somervell County | id= hcs12| author=Elam, Richard| retrieved=April 28, 2010}} Texas State Historical Association.</ref>

The [[Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant]] went online in the mid-1970s and employs over 1,000 people.<ref>{{cite web | title=Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station | publisher=Glenrosearea.com | url=http://www.glenrosearea.com/pages/comanche.html | access-date=April 28, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124063615/http://www.glenrosearea.com/pages/comanche.html | archive-date=January 24, 2013 }}</ref>  [[Squaw Creek Reservoir]], which provides cooling water for the power plant, also has become a popular recreation site.<ref>{{cite web | title=Squaw Creek Reservoir | publisher=Going Outside.com | url=http://www.goingoutside.com/lake/110/1107567_Squaw_Creek_Reservoir_Texas.html| access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref>