Not much remains of the community of Normanna on US181
about 10 miles north of Beeville except the stone masonry of an abandoned
general store, an old bridge left to an occasional pedestrian, and a few homes
scattered among the eight neatly laid-out city blocks.
The settlement dates back to about 1850 when a small group of families built a
rough encampment at the junction of San Domingo and Dry Medio creeks, two miles
east of the present site. On the road from the coast to San Antonio, the town
prospered as a trading post and social center for the neighboring ranches. When
the railroad passed the town in 1876, the town moved and changed its name to
Walton.
In 1892, a colony of Norwegians settled in the area and changed the name to
Normanna or “Home of the Norseman.” For the next 60 years the community saw its
fortunes rise and then fall. By the turn of the century, the town supported two
doctors, two churches, a two-story schoolhouse, four general stores, a
newspaper, a drug store, and a barber shop. The railroad built a depot and
stockyards across the tracks from the town.
What the early settlers found on the coastal plains around Normanna were
acres of fertile land covered with a tangle of mesquite, prickly pear cactus,
live oaks, and a growing season that lasted 285 days a year. Cattle and cotton
were king in the area until a local farmer convinced his neighbors to diversify
into broomcorn. For years, housewives around the country swore by their Fortuna
Brooms made in Normanna.
The Medio Creek Bridge west of town on County Road 101 was built in 1897 for
less than $4,000. The bridge was a miracle of modern engineering at the time.
The unique riveted-steel piers have withstood floods that devastated lesser
bridges. The bridge and the automobile made it easier for the farmers to shop
in nearby Beeville.
The town might have survived if not for a string of natural disasters in the
1940s . Storms blowing in 70 miles from the Gulf washed away people’s dreams.
Two fires destroyed most of the business district and many homes. By the time
oil was discovered north of town, the population had dropped to less than 100.
Now the community doesn’t have enough volunteers to open its museum
regularly.
If you enjoy searching out ghost towns, then get a county map of Bee County.
Spend an afternoon driving the county roads to places like Orangedale, Candish,
Cadz, Pawnee, or Caesar. In Mineral, a few miles northwest of Normanna, a
resort once flourished around the mineral water springs.
Coming up this weekend…
Ottine Fall Fest honors the 105-year-old post office in the community at the
gates of Palmetto State Park, Oct. 19. 210/672-3266.
Heritage Day Festival in Llano with a fair around the courthouse and free
tours of the old jail, museum, and The Dabbs Hotel, Oct. 19. 915/247-5354.
Heritage Antique Show in Georgetown helps you start your own museum at San
Gabriel Park, Oct. 19-20. 512/863-5598.
Coming up…
Fall Colors begin to explode late Oct. to early Nov. at Lost Maples State
Park. For a recorded message on the progress, call 800/792-1112. East Texas
boasts spectacular colors this time of year, too. Call the foliage hotline at
903/757-4444 or http://www.etta.com/etta
Hot Pepper Festival in Palestine gives farmers a chance to show off this
year’s crop and have a good time, Oct. 26. 800/659-3484. n
This article appears in October 18 • 1996 and October 18 • 1996 (Cover).
