VALLEY MILLS, TEXAS

Bosque County / McLennan County, North Central Texas

31° 39' 27" N, 97° 28' 21" W (31.6575, -97.4725)

Highway 6
23 Miles SE of Meridian the county seat
11 Miles S of Clifton
24 Miles N of Waco
ZIP code 76689
Area code 254
Population: 1,180 Est. (2019)
1,203 (2010) 1,123 (2000) 1,085 (1990)

Valley Mills Area Hotels
Clifton Hotels | Waco Hotels

Bosque River Bridge, Valley Mills
Click on image to enlarge
Old Photo courtesy Dan Whatley Collection
More Texas Bridges

History in a Pecan Shell

Named for a mill built on the Bosque River in 1867, the town moved one mile south in 1881 to be alongside the tracks of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad.

In 1882 the town was hit by a tornado but quickly rebuilt on the other side of the river - which happened to be in McLennan County. The town's railroad and it's location on the Chisholm Trail made it a trading center for both McLennan and Bosque Counties. The 855 people who lived in Valley Mills mostly stayed put. The effects of the Great Depression only reduced the population by about 50.

Post-war prosperity raised this number to just over 1,000 by the mid-1950s and the town still keeps its retail and shipping status for both counties. By the mid-1980s the population had reached 1,236, and 1,203 in 2010.

Valley Mills, Texas Landmarks

Downtown Valley Mills
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009

Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009

Masonic Lodge building.
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009
More Texas Lodges

Valley Mills TX - First Methodist Church

First Methodist Church
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009

Valley Mills TX - First Methodist Church historical marker

First Methodist Church historical marker.
More Texas Churches
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009

Valley Mills Street Mural.
More Texas Murals
Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, July 2009

Winter scene on FM 854 near Valley Mills
Photo courtesy David J. Wymer, 2005

1920s Bosque County map showing Valley Mills by the Bosque River, near McLennan County Line
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

Central Texas North

Valley Mills, Texas Area Destinations
Meridian the county seat
Clifton | Waco

See Bosque County | McLennan County

Book Hotel Here:
Clifton Hotels | Waco Hotels | More Hotels

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