Cleburne, Texas

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 57 degrees, clear, windy

A line of thunderstorms passed through the area early this morning about 0330-0400. Lots of lightning and thunder, and it rained hard for about 30 minutes. The rain was welcomed, since the area is so dry.

We took a drive over to Cleburne today so we could look around and get some pictures of local landmarks. Cleburne is the county seat of Johnson County and on the route of the old Chisholm Trail. There were a couple of smaller settlements in the area that were combined, and Cleburne was formed in 1867 in order to have a more centrally located county seat. The town was named in honor of Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, under whom many of the men had fought during the Civil War. The major growth of the town in its early years was caused by machine shops that supported the railroads that went through the area. The population of the town at this time is about 25,000.

Cleburne still uses the courthouse that was built in 1912, even though it looks newer than that. The building is undergoing renovations to allow its use for the future.

As you come into Cleburne from the west, there is a park that is used to celebrate the area's history, especially the part that deals with the Chisholm Trail.

One of the things we like to look for in our travels is murals and old signs painted on the sides of buildings. This one, as does most of the ones we see, depicts some of the events that occurred in the past in the area.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Cleburne, Texas: It’s A Great Place To Hang Your Hat