Timeline of Historical Events in Clifton, Texas

Date

Historical Event

22 Jul 1859 First post office is established.
1860 First school "The Clifton Academy", a small log structure on Clear Branch, is established 
1861 Oldest church denomination in continuous service organized (First Presbyterian Church)
Aug 1870 Old Rock School east of the Bosque River opens for classes.
1880 Santa Fe Railway Depot constructed.
1881 Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad completed through Clifton. First business moves to "new town".
Spring 1882 Mass migration of merchants begins from "old town"  on the east side of the Bosque River to "new town" near the railroad depot.
1885 First church building is completed (First Baptist Church)
1889 P. E. Schow and Brothers (later Clifton Mercantile) opens as a mercantile establishment.
25 Apr 1891 Clifton first votes to incorporate (29-6) but the election is contested and ruled invalid.
1893 New school, a two-story frame structure, is built across the river at the location of the current Elementary School.
1895 First issue of The Clifton Record is published.
1895 First bank is established by J. W. Butler and J. T. Addickes on West 3rd Street.
06 May 1896 Clifton Lutheran College (later Clifton Junior College and then Clifton College)  is organized.
28 Oct 1897 First building at Clifton College opens as a high school
12 Jun 1901 Clifton again votes to incorporate and again the election is contested
09 Jun 1902 Court of Appeals declares the incorporation election of 1901 to be official
1904 First National Bank is established (became First Security State Bank in 1911, First National Bank again in 1925, and dissolved when merged with Farmer's State Bank in 1930). 
23 Dec 1905 Fire in downtown Clifton destroys an entire block and a large part of the business district
14 Jul 1906 Clifton State Bank is established (became Farmer's Guaranty State Bank in 1911, Farmer's State Bank in 1925, Clifton Bank in 1973, InterFirst Bank in 1982). 
1915 Frame school building is razed and a new 3-story brick building is constructed on the same site
1920 Jacob Olson wills his collection of historic artifacts to Clifton College with the stipulation that it never leave Bosque County. This collection will eventually become the Bosque Memorial Museum.
1921 Clifton National Bank is established but closes three years later.
1923 Clifton College Administration Building constructed.
1924 Clifton College accreditted as a two-year college.
24 Oct 1924 The second City Hall along West 5th Street is dedicated.
1928 Mermaid Swimming Pool constructed and opened to the public
1938 High school at Clifton College is discontinued.
Sep 1939 First hospital at North Avenue E and West 5th Street is established.
01 Sep 1946 Citywide mail delivery begins.
Early 1950's Last railroad passenger service ends.
1954 Clifton College is closed when it merges with Texas Lutheran College at Seguin.
1954 Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home is established.
1957 Bosque Memorial Museum is organized.
01 Sep 1964 Black children admitted for the first time to 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades as the Clifton schools begin integration.
01 Sep 1965 Black children admitted for the first time to 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades and the Clifton schools become fully integrated.
July 1966 First planes are able to land at new airport.
10 Sep 1972 New Goodall-Witcher Hospital at South Avenue T and Highway 219 is dedicated.
1973 New high school is completed north of town.
1974 The third and current City Hall is completed.
Earlys 1980's Daily commercial bus service by Central Texas Bus Lines ends.
1980 Mermaid Swimming Pool permanently closes.
07 Sep 1981 Clifton College Administration Building is rededicated as the Carl E. Olsen Fine Arts Building of the Bosque County Conservatory of Fine Arts.
Oct 1983 The Santa Fe Railway Depot closes.
14 June 1984 Clifton National Bank, the second bank to have that name, is established