Glen Rose is a city in and the county seat of Somervell County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,659.

History

19th century

The area was first settled in 1849 by Charles Barnard, who opened a trading post near Comanche Peak. After the region became a federal Indian Reservation in 1855, Barnard moved his business to Fort Belknap. Circa 1859 when the reservation was abolished, he returned to the area and built the first store on what is now the site of Glen Rose.

A three-story stone gristmill was constructed along the Paluxy River and the town that grew up around it became known as Barnard's Mill. A post office opened in 1874.

When Somervell County was formed on March 15, 1875, Glen Rose was designated as its county seat. A courthouse around Glen Rose's town square was completed around 1892, but burned down a year later. A newly built Romanesque Revival style courthouse was constructed soon after with locally quarried limestone. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Glen Rose has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Glen Rose had a population of 2,659, 993 households, and 693 families residing in the city. The median age was 41.2 years, with 25.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 22.3% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.6 males age 18 and over.

Of the 993 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.3% were married-couple households, 14.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 2,035 || 76.5%

|-

| Black or African American || 16 || 0.6%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 35 || 1.3%

|-

| Asian || 44 || 1.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 176 || 6.6%

|-

| Two or more races || 353 || 13.3%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 508 || 19.1%

|}

2000 census

As of the census on the banks of the Paluxy River, Paluxy Heritage Park, and Oakdale Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Glen Rose is the mail center for Dinosaur Valley State Park. Located immediately to the east of the park, it is featured in the State of Texas Dinosaur Valley State Park/Glen Rose smartphone app. The city is called the "Dinosaur Capital of Texas".

Arts and culture

The Texas Amphitheatre is located in Glen Rose, with the Christian play, The Promise in Glen Rose, performed regularly.

Education

Glen Rose is served by the Glen Rose Independent School District.

Media

Two newspapers have offices located in Glen Rose, the Glen Rose Reporter and the Glen Rose Newspaper. Local television stations that provide coverage for the area are from the Dallas-Fort Worth and the Waco/Temple/Killeen (Central Texas) metropolitan areas. Glen Rose is also served by Tarleton State University's National Public Radio affiliate KTRL 90.5 FM.

Notable people

  • Dan Campbell — professional football player and coach
  • John Graves — author of Goodbye to a River
  • Sammy Hale — baseball player
  • Brooke Rollins — 33rd Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture
  • Ivan Stang — writer, co-founder of the Church of the SubGenius

References

  • City of Glen Rose
  • Glen Rose Visitor Information Center