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Winter
scene on FM 854 near Valley Mills
Photo courtesy David J. Wymer, 2005 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Named for a mill built on the Bosque River
in 1867, the town moved one mile south in 1881 to be alongside the tracks of the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad.
In 1882 the town was hit by a tornado
but quickly rebuilt on the other side of the river - which happened to be in McLennan
County. The town's railroad and it's location on the Chisholm Trail made it a
trading center for both McLennan and Bosque Counties. The 855 people who lived
in Valley Mills mostly stayed put. The effects of the Great Depression only reduced
the population by about 50.
Post-war prosperity raised this number to
just over 1,000 by the mid-1950s and the town still keeps it's retail and shipping
status for both counties. By the mid-1980s the population had reached 1,236, and
is currently given as 1,123.
A
Visit to Valley Mills | |
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