A Texas Road Trip 3.7 - Somervell County Courthouse (Texas No. 77)

Constructed:  1893
Architectural Style:  Romanesque Revival
Materials:  Native limestone from a nearby quarry
County Seat:  Glen Rose

Charles and Juana Barnard settled this area, arriving in 1849 and building a trading post near Comanche Peak.  A gristmill was eventually constructed and the little town which grew up around the mill became known as Barnard's Mill.  In 1871 the mill was purchased by T.C. Jordan of Dallas for $65,000 and it was decided to change the name of the town to Rose Glen because his wife, a native of Scotland, said the area reminded her of her homeland.  The citizens then voted to change the name of the town to Glen Rose and the first post office was established in 1874.  Glen Rose, a small, quiet city of  2,500 people, is 55 miles south of Fort Worth.

And look who greeted me on the steps of the courthouse door.

This third day ended with me feeling less than par with this intense sunburn I have been suffering.  This particular day I didn't even take off my hat while in the car.  I was glad that after my stop in Glen Rose I only had another 40 miles to drive before my day came to an end.  But when I returned to my car, it was totally dead!  And my cell phone was in desperate need of a charge.  I had planned to plug it in as soon as I got back in the car.  Not even enough juice in the battery to do that!  I figured someone in the courthouse could tell me how to get some mechanical help in an unfamiliar town, but to my dismay the courthouse was actually locked up.  It seemed that Friday afternoons are slow in Glen Rose and everyone had just gone home early!

I noticed two men, who later told me they were both in their 80s, sitting in rocking chairs talking with a younger woman on the sidewalk in front of an antique store across the street.  I walked over and discussed my situation with them.  No known tow facilities in town, no mechanic's garage, no auto dealership, but they were convinced they could fix my car!  Thank goodness they couldn't find a wrench or else I might have still been in Glen Rose standing by my a car with nothing under the hood!

I finally called an emergency number I had located on the back of my driver's license, which rang at the state highway patrol headquarters, who then patched me in to the Somervell County Sheriff's Office and a few minutes later a policeman arrived, followed shortly by a sheriff's deputy.  The policeman's jumper cables didn't seem to be heavy-duty enough to start my car but the sheriff's officer had a stronger set of cables so we were finally successful.  The woman with the two men had called someone named Spike about looking at my car and he said he would remain wherever he was until 5:30, and by this time 5:30 was fast approaching, although my lower legs, since I was wearing Bermuda shorts, were beginning to burn and the slightest bit of sun exposure was becoming more and more painful.

I was still a bit skeptical of someone named Spike working on my car so I asked one of the officers if they knew this person.  Oh, yes, he owns an auto parts store!   I followed the woman to Spike's place and he was waiting and had a battery that would fit my car and the day ended with me waving goodbye  to my new friends in Glen Rose as I traveled the last 40 miles of my day.