Circa 1859 when the reservation was abolished, he returned to the area and built the first store on what is now the site of Glen Rose.

[7] A three-story stone gristmill was constructed along the Paluxy River and the town that grew up around it became known as Barnard's Mill.

A newly built Romanesque Revival style courthouse was constructed soon after with locally quarried limestone.

During Prohibition, the area was a center of moonshining, and Glen Rose became known as the "whiskey woods capital of the state".

[7] The population remained steady during the Great Depression, although unemployment rates in both Glen Rose and Somervell County increased.

[10] As part of the New Deal, Glen Rose borrowed $80,000 under the Public Works Administration (PWA) to construct a new water and sewage system.

Three low-water dams on the Paluxy River, several local school buildings, and a canning plant were built with Works Projects Administration (WPA) money.

[10] Somervell County's population declined from 3,071 in 1940 to 2,542 in 1950 as many residents moved in search of greater employment opportunities.

The construction of the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in the mid-1970s brought financial advantages and new residents to the area.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km2), all land.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

Glen Rose is also served by Tarleton State University's National Public Radio affiliate KTRL 90.5 FM.