Bosque County Historical Commission

The modern history of Bosque County begins with the early Spanish explorers who bestowed the name of Bosque meaning "wooded" to the river that bisects the county. The first surveys for land grants in the Bosque Valley occurred in the 1830's before Texas became a Republic. In 1849, a few years after Texas attained statehood, the first permanent settlers arrived to a territory still roamed by Native Americans. By 1854, the number of settlers living in the territory had increased, and Bosque County was created on February 8, 1854 by an act of the Texas Legislature. (more)

The Bosque County Historical Commission is the official organization for carrying out the State preservation program at the local level. Its purpose is to preserve, mark, and encourage appreciation of the historical in Bosque County, Texas. (more)

The Bosque County Collection is a library, archives, and research center for the local history of Bosque County. Established in 1983 by the Bosque County Historical Commission, its mission is to collect and preserve valuable and irreplaceable historic as well as current materials about the county and make them readily available to researchers. (more)

Friends of the Bosque County Collection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation supporting the goals of the Bosque County Collection. (more)

2025 Distinguished Service Award

The Bosque County Historical Commision was recently honored with a Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical Commission for our work in 2025! This is an award that only about 20% of County Historic Commissions are awarded. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Bosque County Historical Commission and The Bosque County Collection - Judges, County Commissioners, Historical Commissioners, Collection Staff, and volunteers.

The Bosque County Collection has new new hours:

The manager of Collection recently retired, so the Bosque County Collection is currently closed. The Bosque County Historical Commission was recently informed (June 2026) that the County is considering closing the facility permanently as a cost-cutting measure. The Bosque County Historical Commission itself will continue because it is a State-mandated function of County government. We will be working with the County Judge and County Commissioners to see what can be done to keep the Collection open to the public.

In the meantime, research at the Collection will only be open on an appointment basis when Historical Commission members can be available. The best way to contact the Collection will be via email at bcc@bosquechc.org. The phone is monitored for voice messages, but those messages are converted to text and emailed to the email address above.

The Lumpkin Building (early 1900's)
Home of The Bosque County Collection