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Crawford
was named for Nelson Crawford, a man who graded a ford at the Middle
Bosque River - near the present town of Crawford sometime in the
1850s.
The town has escaped the fires and tornadoes that have plagued other
small towns.
Right:
Crawford Water tower
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey
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History in a Pecan Shell
A timeline
of significant facts in Crawford's history:
1850s: Area is first settled
1867: The Brownwood
stage line had a horse-changing station located at an inn in Crawford.
1871: The post office was granted
1881: The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway bypassed Crawford
by two miles.
1890: Crawford had steam flour and corn mills, two general
stores, three groceries, a cotton gin, four churches, and 400 residents;
cotton, wheat, hides, and corn were the principal shipments from the
area.
1897: Crawford decides to incorporate
1880s and 1890s: The town had a series of newspapers.
1901: First private bank opens
1910: Population reaches 600 persons - bank is reorganized
as First National Bank of Crawford
1928: The Crawford Sun is published until it merges with The
McGregor Mirror in 1969.
Waco being as large as it
is, doesn't leave a lot of room for small towns in McLennan County.
Crawford has been a trade center for western McLennan County for years
- allowing its economy to remain relatively stable. The population
fell to 425 in the 1950s, but commuting workers in the 1980s helped
boost the population to its present 705.
Waco
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President George W. Bush bought a "Ranch" near Clifton
while still Governor of Texas. Now that it has become the "Western
White House" - it remains to be seen if Mr. Bush's presidency will
do for Crawford what LBJ's presidency did for Fredericksburg.
Clifton
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Entrance
to Bush Ranch
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey |
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Crawford
Middle School
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey |
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