June 2014: Bosque County, Texas

My father's side of the family was from Bosque County, Texas which is about 30 miles west of Waco.  I remember going to visit there in summers, and since I haven't been back in probably 30 years, I took a side trip there in June from Austin. 

Downtown Clifton, Texas, aka The Norwegian Capital of Texas, named for the sizable community that emigrated here from Norway in the 1800s to early 1900s.  It seems quieter here than I remember.  The cafe that used to be on the ground floor of the brick building below is long gone.  It was the hub of town and always crowded during lunch time.

The Norwegian flag flies downtown.
 

The Cliftex Movie Theater, claimed to be the longest running theater in Texas.
 

Fifteen miles from Clifton is the former town of Norse, Texas which used to have its own post office.  Today, the area is an historic district, including Our Savior's Lutheran Church, which is still active:

A limestone rock fence surrounding the church cemetery.  Some of the immigrant Norwegians were stone workers by trade and they used their skills to quarry limestone and build their houses and structures with it.

Downtown of the neighboring town of Valley Mills also appears much quieter than I remember it.  My grandmother used to take me shopping with her at this grocery store:

Searsville Baptist Church, outside of Valley Mills.

And finally, the amazing gothic-style Bosque County courthouse, also built out of limestone, in the small county seat of Meridian (population ~1000).