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The
1886 Bosque County Courthouse as it appeared in 1939
Photo courtesy TXDoT |
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The
first thing that some folks might have a hard time with is the name
"Bosque." Some might think, "It looks like 'mosque.' So it must
be pronounced 'bosk.'" Or they might think, "bo-skay." Well,
it's neither (or is it ni-ther?). Those from around this
county know it's pronounced "bos-kee."
Bosque (did I say it right?) County is not named for a "who;" it's
named for a "what." In 1721, Spanish explorer the Marques de San
Miguel de Aguayo was ambling his way to an East Texas mission from
San Antonio de Bexar. Being an explorer, he wandered north off of
the Old San Antonio Road and, well, went exploring.
De Aguayo camped near the Brazos River and another tributary and
looked around. He saw lots of trees. Since explorers are known for
naming things, he hailed the tributary "Bosque," which is Spanish
for "trees." When it came time to name the county, folks looked
at the Bosque River and figured Bosque County was as good as any
other name. So it stuck.
About 1830, George Erath was hired to survey the land for colonization.
Although he didn't have the title of explorer, he liked naming things,
too. While he was surveying near the ninety-eighth meridian, he
named two tributaries the Meridian Creek and the Meridian Knobs.
The name "Meridian" stuck, too, because when it came time to name
the county seat, folks decided to call it just that.
Bosque County is known for its Norwegian influence. After settling
kinsmen in seven other states, Norwegian Cleng Peerson set his eyes
on Texas. Once here, he urged
fellow Norwegians in East
Texas to go west, but not too far. In 1854, he and other Norwegians
took advantage of the land give-away from the state and settled
Clifton,
Norse,
and Cranfills
Gap.
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The
year 1854 was also when Bosque County was established. By
that fall, a one-room log courthouse was erected with Lowry Scrutchfield
elected as county judge. Scrutchfield, one of the original settlers
in the county, had assisted Erath in laying out the town of Waco.
Scrutchfield was county judge for four years, although much of his
time was spent warding off Indian attacks. The Comanches were keeping
the settlers busy by stealing whatever they could get their hands
on, from livestock to scalps.
A
second courthouse was erected in 1860 but was destroyed by
fire in 1871. Then for about five years, court
was held off and on in a tent until a two-storied stone courthouse
was erected in 1875. That seat of justice lasted for a decade.
Then, in 1886, a fight broke out over the possibility of building
a new courthouse.
It was the Courthouse
Party vs. the Anti-Courthouse Party, verbally duking it out. The
New Courthouse advocates sited the deteriorating building and insufficient
space. The Old Courthouse defenders spat that a new courthouse,
costing 60K, would break the county and raise taxes. These rumblings
culminated the day the courthouse was to be demolished. Commissioner
Tom Poole feared for his life as he rode into town that day, having
heard he'd be ambushed for voting for the new courthouse. He found
an angry mob gathered around the Courthouse Square, armed with pistols
and fury. Yet a shot was not fired, and the courthouse was demolished.
Anti-Courthouse Party commissioners A. J. Walton and E. J. W. Odgen
refused to allow their names to be placed on the cornerstone of
the building, so only the names of Courthouse Party County Judge
R. G. Childress and commissioners Poole and John Goodman appear
there. These three men were subsequently voted out of office in
the election of 1886 before the courthouse was completed.
The
present Bosque County courthouse, completed
the end of 1886, is a Renaissance Revival courthouse designed
originally by J. J. Cane of Ft. Worth. However, when he designed
it, he had a Gothic tower with small turrets on the corners above
the east entrance.
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Bosque
County Courthouse Clock Tower Restored
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher, July 2007
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Oil
painting of the 1886 Bosque County courthouse displayed in the Bosque
County Bank across from the courthouse.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, October 2005 |
| Courtesy
Bosque County Collection |
Courthouse
with tower and mansard roofs
Vintage photo courtesy Rodney Keller |
| The
1886 Bosque County Courthouse cornerstone showing Architect and ornamental
rosette. Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher, July 2007 |
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The building
is made from limestone quarried nearby. Roman arches and heavy rusticated
pilasters reflect the Renaissance Revival style. Stone-carved fancy
rosettes adorn the pilasters. The hipped roofs over the corner pavilions,
connected with mansard roofs, were originally covered with metallic
shingles in a diamond pattern.
The Gothic
tower and these roofs were replaced with walls in 1935, as a result
of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (WPA). That
renovation also resulted in an addition to the west side of the
courthouse.
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Cast-iron
stairs, made in Detroit, Michigan
Photo by Lou Ann Herda |
Bosque County
Courthouse Restoration
2007
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Clock
tower being fabricated on the ground.
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher, March 17, 2007 |
The
courthouse less the clock tower.
Photo courtesy Sam Fenstermacher, March 17, 2007 |
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