403 West Third Street
P.O. Box 231
Clifton, TX 76634
Phone: (254) 675-8337
Fax: (254) 675-8358
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The History of Clifton, Texas

Clifton, founded in 1852, can be divided into two time periods as well as two geographic locations. "Old Clifton" was established north and east of the present day location. The primary attraction to settlers was the water mill that was constructed on the Bosque River shortly after the Civil War. Originally made of logs, the mill was rebuilt in stone in 1868 and continued to operate as a mill until 1905. For several years afterwards 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 Mr. Kell's homestead was owned by General Mesina of France, one of Napoleon Bonaparte's marshals. After the general's death, the entire 1,280 acres was offered to Mr. Kell for $50 who refused, saying that land was too plentiful to be worth much.

The shift 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 Mr. Kell and built its depot. The railway was completed through this area in 1881, and mass emigration to "new Clifton" began the following spring.

During this same period, large numbers ( for the time) Norwegian and German immigrants began settling Clifton and the surrounding areain . The nearby Norse community eight miles west of Clifton is the final resting place of Cleng Peerson, internationally recognized as the "Father of Norwegian Immigration to America". Clifton has been officially designated "The Norwegian Capital of Texas" by the Texas Legislature.

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See also Heritage, History and Culture