The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, June 23, 2006 Page: 33 of 110
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THE CLIFTON RECORD — BOSQUE COUNTY, U.S.A.
FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2006
15
THE CITIES & TOWNS OF BOSQUE COUNTY
Bosque County, Texas, U.S.A.
Clifton, Texas
Norwegian Capital of Texas
Clifton Offers Diversity, Tradition
Clifton’s Next 150 Years Now Under Way
Although Clifton celebrated its cen-
tennial in 1952, and just completed
celebration of its sesquicen
tennial in 2002, the first
public buildings were
not recorded until the
early 1860s. The Clif-
ton post office was
established on July
22, 1859.
Clifton’s history
can be divided into
two time periods as
well as two geo-
graphic locations.
“Old Clifton" was estab-
lished north and east of
the present day location.
The primary attraction to settlers
was the construction of a water mill
on the Bosque River shortly after the
Civil War. “The Old Mill,” as it be-
came known, furnished flour to the
City of Waco during Bosque County’s
early years. Originally constructed of
logs, the mill was reconstructed of
stone in 1868, and continued
to operate as a mill until
1905.
For several years af-
terward it was used
as Clifton's electric
power plant.
One of Clifton's
earliest settlers was
Francis Marion
Kell, who moved to
Bosque County in
1852 and owned much
of the land now in the
city. A 1,280-acre tract of
land near Kell’s was owned
by a General Mesina of France, one
of Napoleon Bonaparte’s marshals.
After the general’s death, the entire
1,280 acres was offered to Kell for
$50. Kell refused, saying, as did many
settlers, that land was too plentiful to
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“The Day of Americana” involves a fireworks show.
be worth much.
The exodus from “old Clifton” to
the present-day location one mile
south began in 1880 when the Gulf,
Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad
bought land from Kell and built its
depot. The railway was completed
through this area in 1881, and mass
emigration to “new Clifton" began
the following spring.
Today, the City of Clifton is being
accurately described as a fantastic
place for families subject to the rat
race and insecurities of big cities to
relocate. Many who have moved
here have looked throughout the
state for a place to raise their fami-
lies in a value-rich setting that pro-
vides opportunities for growth,
prosperity, and a pleasant way of life
— to expose their children to a way
of life that is vanishing in much of
society today.
They see in Clifton an energetic
community, with wide and evolving
diversity — a city that provides a
solid foundation on which citizens
are given the opportunity to become
the best they can be.
Located in south-central Bosque
County, Clifton is part of the beauti-
ful hill country of Texas, with di-
verse recreational capabilities all
around. There’s Lake Whitney 10
miles to the northeast, Meridian
State Park nine miles to the north,
the Bosque River that flows through
Clifton, a city swimming pool, ten-
nis and basketball courts, baseball
parks and a football/track and field
complex, walking trails, tourist at-
tractions like the Bosque Memorial
Museum, and nature trails.
Fbr persons wanting to live in a smaller
city but have easy access to metropoli-
tan areas, Clifton can provide the best of
both worlds, as Waco and Temple are just
half-an-houraway. The Dallas-Fbrt Worth
Metroplex and the greater Austin area
are each just under two hours away, too.
Clifton offers a level of diversity that
most communities its size do not. For
instance, the Goodall-Witcher
Healthcare Foundation and Clifton
Medical Clinic have long served resi-
dents of the greater Bosque County
area, providing quality health care lo-
cally and the safety net of knowing
there’s a top-notch medical facility
“just down the street.”
For those who aspire to enhance
their creative talents, there’s the
Bosque Conservatory — a facility
started in the early 1980s that pro-
vides area residents with an outlet
for expressing and developing their
abilities related to a wide range of
fine art. Several of the nation's great
western artists have chosen Clifton
as their home. In fact, Clifton has
been designated as one of the top 10
art cities in the nation.
Clifton offers a highly regarded,
growing school system that is sec-
ond to none. Clifton Independent
School District has a long and sto-
ried tradition in athletics, academ-
ics, and music. A new high school
campus is now open, with the
middle school moved to the old high
school campus to allow for student
population growth the past few
years.
Other pluses of the community in-
clude many churches of various de-
nominations, service clubs and
organizations that area residents
are extremely active in, an award-
winning museum, and a flourishing
business community.
The City of Clifton is a “Main
Street” graduate city, a prestigious
designation from the Texas Histori-
cal Commission. Building renova-
tions and community promotions
are being emphasized, and the city
is at the forefront of development as
a model city. In 1999, Clifton re-
ceived the honor of being named one
of just a few National Main Street
cities., In 2000, Main Street dedi-
cated Heritage Plaza, a new park
downtown highlighted by a lifesize
bronze cowboy on horse, by local
artist Bruce Greene entitled, “On
the Banks of the Bosque.”
Clifton’s city government takes a
positive attitude toward service of
its residents, and is working hard to
assure that the city’s infrastructure
remains solid. Clifton offers a very
low crime rate, beautiful parks and
playgrounds, and excellent accom-
modations for retirees. After recent
construction of a surface water sup-
ply project, the city is assuredof a
definite water supply for the city’s
residents for the next half-century.
Living in or visiting Clifton, not
only do you relive the virtuous so-
cial values of yesteryear, but you
view a growing and prosperous city
that is on the cutting edge of the tra-
ditional American Dream!
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Smith, W. Leon. The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, June 23, 2006, newspaper, June 23, 2006; Clifton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth790015/m1/33/?q=%22~1~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Nellie Pederson Civic Library.