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US Post
Office 78142
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2007 |
History
in a Pecan shell
The area had been a Mexican land grant back in 1831. In 1874
it was named Walton Station after Sheriff D.A.T. Walton.
Norwegian immigrants moved into the area in 1893, and formed
the nucleus of their colony just 2 miles from Walton. When the postal
authorities rejected the application for a post office under the name
Walton, Normanna was submitted and accepted.
The name loosely translates as "the place of Norsemen" but closer
to the true meaning is "far North." Seeing that's where they were
from, the name was appropriate.
Families descended from the original Norwegian settlers still live
in the area.
Normanna has a museum in a building that has served as ranch headquarters,
a hotel and a residence. |
| Photo
courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2007 |
"Great
old ghost house here, stated as a museum."
- Ken Rudine, August 2007 photo |
Normanna
Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2007 |
| Photo
courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2007 |
Medio Creek
Bridge
Nearby on CR 241
is the historic and picturesque MEDIO CREEK BRIDGE.
The bridge was the idea of Viggo Kohler, a man who later built
the large Viggo Hotel in Hebbronville
(1915). He petitioned the Bee County Commissioners to accept bids
in June of 1897. The bridge arrived in kit form and was assembled
by the Austin Brothers Bridge Company.
Nearby the bridge - the town of Mineral
had been something of a health resort in the 1890s. Deepening the
well caused the mineral content to decline to the point where people
no longer came.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985 and became a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark in
1987. |
The
Medio Creek Bridge in a foggy morning
Photo courtesy Will Beauchamp, November 12, 2007 |
Photographer's
Note: Medio Creek Bridge at Normanna Texas.
"You have it on your bridge list but with no picture. Mother
nature has pretty much taken it over and there's only one direction
to view it from. It was a foggy morning so I hope it'll do for now."
- Will
Beauchamp, November 14, 2007
See also Medio Creek Bridge at
nearby Tuleta
More Texas Bridges |
Reader's
Email:
Young Family Photo Postcards and Letters
"Here are some of the postcards dated 1909-1915 from the Young
Family. I would like to find any decendents of the family and send
them to them. I have over 25 photo postcards and a few letters. The
names on them are Earle and Loretta, Cy, Frank, Rose Elizabeth. I
believe they all lived in the Normanna area." - paint320@sbcglobal.net
April 21, 2004 |
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