Granbury, county seat of Hood county, on Hwy. 337, between Fort Worth and Stephenville, is also on the Texas Lakes Trail by way of highways 51 and 144. Lake Granbury, created by the erection of DeCordova Bend Dam on the Brazos River, backs up water into old Lambert Branch, bringing the lake to within a block of the square, forming almost a horseshoe around the town. "We have something here almost as beautiful as San Antonio," E. J. Arrington, the Mayor, said. New businesses are already being put in, a large apartment complex is being built and a boat manufacturer is looking for a suitable location.

When Hood county was created in November 1866 the site where Grandbury stands was a forest -- large post oaks on the town square and in the river bottom large burr oak, elm, cottonwood and pecan trees. The Holland & Anderson saw mill on the river began thinning the trees for building material and where there had once been a plentiful supply of deer and turkey for food, there were soon none.

The present court house, erected in 1890, has recently received a new clock tower. It is on the same spot where the first 16' x 16' one story log cabin stood after Alex McCamant, surveyor, finished plotting the forty acres, donated by "Uncle Tommy" Lambert and the Nutt brothers, for this new town. A 25' x 40', one-story rock and concrete building on a corner of the square was used for public purposes, -- court, school, church, etc. The small building in the center of the square was where the county officials kept their records and offices. It was head-quarters for several lawyers and land agents, and the distributing point for the U.S. Mail, coming in once a week until about 1873. At this time Concord Stage coaches brought mail from Weatherford three times a week, and twice a week from Cleburne.

A rock beef market on the southwest corner of the square, built by Wm. Hightower, was the first rock house in Granbury. However, rock buildings became very popular, and in 1871 many of the rock business houses around the square were built, and a 50' x 60' two-story rock court house was erected in place of the log structure. The upper story was one large court room. This building burned in 1875 and all the county records, plus many private deeds and papers were destroyed. Suspicion pointed to arson, as there were many claims of land title forgeries.

A new courthouse was built, but its walls cracked and had to be supported by iron cross-ties and in 1890 it was demolished and the present building erected.

The old wooden jail, built in 1873, was made a residence in 1885 and the present jail constructed. The jail, east of the hotel, still has the original room and scaffold where condemned prisoners were hanged in early days. Whenever enough money is available to erect a new jail, this one will be converted into a museum.

The lovely old bank, on the southwest corner of the square, was built in the early 1880's. John H. Traylor and D. C. Cogdell operated a private bank from 1883 to 1887. They even printed their own money, I was told. In 1887 they helped organize the First National Bank of Granbury, which is still operating. D. C. Cogdell was president until 1935, then from 1936 to 1948 Jake Green was president. Henry Zweifel is now the president. The bank operates from the north side of the square now and the old building is being restored and will be used for offices.

The opera house, near the center of the south side of the square, is quite deteriorated, but from a distance still retains some of its former beauty. It is very much in need of a fairy godmother. A little theater ought to do a big business in this booming town. The owner of the building says he doesn't have the kind of money it would take to restore the opera house. His father was Archibald Carmichael, born in what is now Hood county, about 115 years ago. As a boy Archibald had one lung shot out during an Indian raid. Later he attended Vanderbilt University and was a member of their first graduating class.

Granbury had many colorful characters in the early days, beginning with a blacksmith, P. V. Rhea, who, with his hammer and anvil, ventured west of the Brazos in 1855 and settled at the mouth of Rough Creek. Rhea did not like the encroachment of civilization, and even after the Granbury square was laid off he would kill deer, hang and dress them from a limb of an oak near the courthouse. His son, Tom Rhea, was a blacksmith in Granbury.

Alex McCamant, the surveyor, who laid out the town and the square, was a tanner and operated a tannery about four miles north of Barnard's Mill (Glen Rose), where in 1862 or '63 he began using a new method of tanning with cedar leaves.

W. H. Kingsbury, of Kingsbury, and Holmsby mercantile, who had threatened to move from the county if the center sit -- nearer Comanche Peak, -- was declared the county seat, collected herds of cattle which he drove to eastern markets, usually 1000 to 2000 head of two to four year old steers, driven by ten to fifteen cowboys and a trail boss, each having a string of four or five ponies. They covered twelve to fifteen miles per day. Kingsbury sometimes went along and at least once his family were members of the drive.

J. A. Formwalt entered the mercantile business in Granbury in the 70's, extending credit to his customers. Credit wasn't prevalent in those days like it is today. Forwalt's name has gone down in history because he was Captain of a company of Confederate soldiers from Johnson and Bosque counties, which he helped enlist. He served at Franklin under Generals H. B. Granberry and Pat Cleburne, where he was severely wounded and gained a promotion to Major.

Somewhere down the line the name Granberry, for the county seat of Hood county, was changed to Granbury.