Historical Marker
Somervell County Courthouse
Historical marker location:
Courthouse Lawn, Glen Rose, Texas
( Courthouse Square, Glen Rose)
Marker installed: 1963
Built 1893. Late Victorian style. Native limestone construction. County was organized in 1875 and named for General Alexander Somervell (1796-1854), Texas soldier, colonist, and statesman. Court was first held in an old store across road from Barnard's Mill. A log cabin (1 block w) was used later. Third courthouse (first on this site) was finished in 1882 but burned in 1893, along with many valuable records. Present structure has a fireproof vault.
The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.