Click on photo to enlarge.
ogeretla aka Benny Davenport and son Daniel Ray Davenport welcome you to a personal picture tour of the Hstorical Town Sqare of Granbury Texas.
Welcome to Hood County
Early History
Hood County, surrounded by such sites as Comanche Peak and the Brazos River, was first settled in 1849 by the Barnard brothers.
Being on peaceful terms with the local Indians, the Barnards found a place on the Paluxy River and were able to establish a trading post and a gristmill for grinding grain. This allowed them to trade their goods for food.
In 1852, Elizabeth Crockett, widow of Alamo hero Davy Crockett, came to the northeastern section of Hood County to claim 320 acres of land given to her by the Republic of Texas in honor of her late husband. Mrs. Crockett and her family made their home in a log cabin. Descendants of the Crockett family stil make Granbury their home today. Following her death in 1860, Mrs. Crockett was buried in the Acton cemetery with the site becoming the smallest State Park in Texas. There is a wrought iron fence around the grave with a full size statue of her and it is about 15'x15'.
By 1853 more settlers began crossing the Brazos River and establishing homes. Because of the risk of unfriendly Indians, special ranger patrols were established to help protect and defend the settlers. The names of the new settlements were chosen in honor of rivers, events, families and historic figures.
The men of the area left to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War. When they returned home in 1865, they began to develop their area into a county.
By 1866 the name Hood County was chosen and newly-named Granbury was selected to be the county seat. (Generals John B. Hood and Hiram B. Granbury were both Civil War heroes.)
In 1871, 40 acres along the Brazos were chosen for the county seat. Hood County was originally approximately 600 square miles, but the families living in the most southern sections of the county felt that Granbury was not centrally located. In 1875 the small county of Somervell was formed, with Glen Rose as its county seat. (Glen Rose was where the first dinosaur tracks were discovered.) Hood County was then reduced to 425 square miles.
Prior to 1924, executions were held in county jails or on/under the nearest tree. Hanging was done by officials of the county where the crime was committed and the warrant was issued.
The law required that each county make provision for execution by hanging or by a firing squad. In the event a gallows would be needed, space for one was built in the old jail. However the gallows was never built because it was never needed. Hood County's only hanging took place under a tree near the reunion grounds in 1875--10 years before the old jail was built.
Front of house on end of cul-de sac taken from street. Property diamond shaped. Less than ten square feet being one full acre. Starts tapering back to a point at the ends of the house. Large Native Pecan Tree in front yeilds 150-200#'s of very tasty pecans per year. Middle photo: Daniel age 14. Bottom photo: ogeretla age 58. Go figure!
Various angles in back yard. Fish and swim in canals from the edge of the back lawn. Depth of water at bottom of quay wall 0-3' depending on level of Lake Granbury. Middle of canals 12-15'.
Taken from parking lot of eaterie, libation club on high bluff overlooking Lake Granbury. High dark tower in horizon center background is the court house tower in the town square. White building to the right of that is large condo's built by Willie Nelson and Larry Gatlin (Gatlin Brothers). It's since been sold and turned into a resort.
Jail on outside corner of the square. Built in 1886. Top of tower is the "Hanging Tower" with a place for gallows. No one was ever hanged there but there was a legal hanging from a tree in the county. One story attachment with white roof was added on in 1950. Jail was in use til 1978 when a newer complex was built on the outskirts of town.
Court House in center of square in background. All of the buildings in the square were constructed in the 1880's and are ALL original and in use complete with wooden floors, high cielings and ceiling fans. Most are tourist shops but there is still one bank still in operation there. There are several eateries and sandwich shops with the original ice cream parlor still in operation continuously since the turn of the century. Top photo: Daniel beside statue of General Hiram B. Granbury whom the town was named after. Some of the towns and counties around here are named after local Civil War Generals, Cleburn, Burleson, Granbury, Wetherford and Hood. General Granbury was shot to death in a battle in Tennessee and remained there for some years until he was moved and brought home to rest in Granbury Cemetary.
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