Alvarado is the oldest city in Johnson County but it is not the county seat. That's Cleburne. This…read moreis a small town that is mostly agriculture though the large Sabre Structures building is here. This marker is located in Alvarado square. It is slightly weather worn and reads, "Early settler David Mitchell established a trading post near here in the late 1840s, about the time colonists of W. S. Peters' empresario grant began to settle the area. Colonist William Balch, who settled on an area land grant in 1852, was later to become known as the "Father of Alvarado" for his efforts in having the townsite surveyed in 1854, establishing the first general merchandise stores on the square, and for donating land for a cemetery, school, and union church. The town, named for Alvarado, Mexico, soon boasted a post office, homes, businesses, and churches. A community school established about 1855 became The Alvarado Masonic Institute in 1875. "Rail lines extended through Alvarado by the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1881 and by the Chicago, Texas, and Mexican Central Railroad in 1884 spurred a local economic boom. By 1885 Alvarado had several churches, two schools, two gins, an opera house, a bank, a newspaper, and a population of about 2,000. The Masonic Institute became the Alvarado Normal Institute in 1899 and Alvarado High School in 1908-09. "A large jail/town hall erected at this site in the mid-1880s was removed in the 1920s and replaced with a garden arrangement; a gazebo was added later. (1994)" I did not spend much time in Alvarado but it seems like a nice enough place. [Review 16124 overall - 303 in Texas - 1629 of 2021.]

I was looking forward to touring this museum, but it was closed. It's rarely open, so don't go to…read moreGlen Rose just for this. Other historic places on the town square were closed as well. I went on a weekday, arrived at 9am, and nothing on the town square was open.

This gem of a hidden treasure is located right off the square near the courthouse. From the first…read morelog cabin post office to photos of what could have been John Wilkes Booth's body, you will find all sorts of antiques and memorabilia located here. Don't let the small size of the museum fool you, I could have very easily spent hours here.

I had never heard of this place until I came out here for a class. Great event venue for classes,…read moremeetings, and even weddings. Essentially it is a multiuse event center. They have live animals around too, so the farm part of their name is not a joke! While I was a little bummed I had to drive all the way here from Dallas, it ended up not being a bad thing. The setting actually proved to be a great way to get away and concentrate on the subject I was there to learn more about with fewer distractions, minus the occasional chicken that walked into the classroom!

I went out there for the first time and it was wonderful. They had an artist there talking about…read moretrees and knot holes, and they had a descendent of the Russells there talking about her husband's woodwork which was very beautiful, it is a beautiful property to walk around and explore, and there was birdwatching. the guy who took you around to find different birds was very experienced in birds. all in all everyone at Russell farm was genuine and pleasant and it was a very nice day

Granbury's Railroad Depot is shining example of early commerce in Hood County. The building remains…read morein relatively the same condition since its original construction in 1914. The depot has been the hub of the county's development and has seen substantial changes in Granbury's cultural and economic growth. The one-story, rectangular brick depot features wide eaves and a hipped roof. Interestingly, the roof still maintains much of its original Ludowici clay tiles. The Granbury Railroad Depot possesses significance in area history, architecture and culture. Built in 1914, it is a remaining symbol of rail transportation to and from Granbury, which triggered a great economic boom here in the 1880s. The Depot is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local, regional, state and national history. The expansion of the railroad across the U.S. brought prosperity and new innovations to lands that had been without. Granbury was no exception. The arrival of the railroad had an "immediate impact" on the local economy and property values rose exponentially. The Depot had separate waiting room sections for white and black passengers, which demonstrates the plight of African Americans in the south after the Civil War. Granbury's founding town fathers together donated $25,000 to bring the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad to Granbury in 1887. These men included Ashley Crockett and E.A. Hannaford. Granbury citizens who used the train included farmers, ranchers and businessmen who used the depot to ship their goods. The Depot is similar to historic Texas railroad stations which also have the wide overhanging eaves and the separate waiting rooms for different ethnic groups. The Depot was built by employees of the Frisco Railroad using brick, stone and trademark Ludowici clay roof tiles which were from the original clay tile factory in New Lexington, Ohio, which burned in the 1950s. The Depot is no doubt, one of the most established and familiar visual features of Granbury. It stands as a monument of progress in this community from rustic pioneer settlements to rural Texas county seat. The Granbury Railroad Depot was designated a local landmark November 8, 2008. This information was obtained from their website.

The Old Granbury Hospital/Granbury Opera House Dormitory is located at 116 South Houston Street,…read moreand was built in 1946, originally as a hospital to serve the residents of Granbury. Afterwards, the property became the dormitory housing for traveling actors performing at the Granbury Opera House. The property is greater than fifty years old and has been included in Granbury's Historic Sites Inventory. The property has significant historical value having been built at the request of "Doc" Ballard, known as a progressive physician and also being associated with the historically significant Granbury Opera House. The Old Granbury Hospital/Opera House Dormitory was designated a local landmark April 13, 2006. This information was obtained from their website.

This structure is the original cabin that was used when Henry Briden first settled here in Johnson…read moreCounty in 1849. Briden and his wife Lucinda Servier were the first permanent white settlers in Johnson County after arriving in Texas from Germany. The one-room log cabin was later used as a barn when Briden built a larger home. The cabin was later moved to its current grounds furnished by First State Bank Rio Vista in 1974. A historical marker was dedicated for the cabin the same year. It is owned by the city of Rio Vista today. There is parking in the neighboring business and the Children's Museum is on the other side. Since you can't go inside the cabin, I wouldn't recommend going out of my way to visit. [Review 16006 overall - 194 in Texas - 1511 of 2021.]

The Hannaford House was built 1881-2 by prominent drugstore merchant, E.A. Hannaford. This High…read moreStyle House is of Italianate stylistic influence. This house is a Granbury Landmark as well as being listed in the Register of Texas Historic Landmarks. This two story, L-plan home has a highly ornamental front porch with two pilasters and jig sawn brackets. Above the porch, on the balcony, there are turned wood balusters that match the balusters above the two round bay windows on the bottom floor. The sidewalks and curbs in front of the house are original and made of limestone.The original lawn, four times its present size, was surrounded by as picket fence, included a carriage house, barn, stable, rose garden, tennis court, and a greenhouse. Edwin Augustus Hannaford was a druggist and opened the first drugstore on the Granbury Square. The original drugstore was in a canvas tent until he built a two story stone structure on the west side of the Square. "Doc" Hannaford as he became known was also very involved in the Granbury education system. "Of the thirty schools in Hood County, Hannaford helped build twenty-nine of them. Many of the students knew him personally, because it was in his store that they purchased their school books"(Beth Calhoun). Mrs. Nettie (Brous) Hannaford was involved in community affairs as well, she was a charter member of the Women's Wednesday Club and the Eastern Star. Doctor Hannaford was also very involved in the establishment of several churches in Granbury. In his youth, Doc Hannaford fought on the Union side of the Civil War, but upon his death in 1915, "... the Confederate Veterans Camp requested to be honorary pallbearers at his funeral. For four years they had been on opposite sides of the war, but in peace they had worked together for forty-four years. He was now a fallen comrade and deserved honor as a true Texas citizen and a real pioneer Texan" (Vance Maloney, Granbury Newspaper, November, 1915). The Hannaford House was designated a Granbury Historical Landmark by the City of Granbury Historic Commission November 16, 1999. This information was obtained from their website.

The Rylee-Aiken House is regarded as the oldest house standing in Granbury. The limestone structure…read morewas built on this site between 1856 and 1860 by Y.J. Rylee. The placement, preparation and construction of this home is highly significant in the broad pattern of national history in that most of the work on the property was completed with the aid of 12 African-American slaves who were owned by Rylee. Additionally, a group of traveling Norwegians who happened to be expert stonemasons assisted in the construction. "The rock house was built on high ground overlooking Rylee's land holdings. The house was built using a plan similar to that of the log cabins in the area. There are two large rooms with an open dogtrot between. At either end of the house is a large room, which has a fireplace with a stone chimney. The roof originally was made with hand-hewed shingles from nearby cedar trees, which were cleared from the land. Cedar and oak trusses can be seen on the inside of the house. After years of neglect, the floors had to be replaced and a new metal roof added, but the rock house still stands as a tribute to this early pioneer family and those who came after." The large trusses had to be hauled in with ox wagons from Fort Colbert, which is now known as Dallas. "The Aiken place was one of the first homes in West Texas to have running water. Many years ago it was found feasible to lift water from the springs to a tank near the house with the use of a hydraulic ram, and the water also was used for irrigation." When it was originally constructed, the house was located on the secluded banks of the Brazos River. The house is now situated in a highly developed area and the land where the house was originally built has since been subdivided into several commercial and residential properties. The old rock house is a very familiar sight to native Granburians. Sources cited: 1) Mary Saltarelli, Granbury Magazine. "Rylee Aiken House and Rylee Ferry Masters Cabin: A Pioneer Family Settles on Brazos Banks." Granbury, TX, May/June 1984. The Rylee-Aiken House was designated a local landmark June 16, 2008. This information was obtained from their website.