[Accommodation][Attractions][Camping][Churches][Eateries][Health Care][Home Services][Professional Services][Ranch Services][Real Estate][Retail][Utilities][Wedding Services][More Quilts by Evelyn]

Cranfills Gap began being settled in 1851, by George Eaton Cranfill. The town got its name from its founding father, and its geographical location – in the gap between two mountains. The community became organized by 1858, when Sam Cranfill moved a post office into the Gap. Much of the town was built with Sam’s house being the epicenter of activity. He was crippled and could not work in the fields like his brothers, Ross and Zacheus, so he was responsible for getting supplies from Clifton and delivering mail.  Riley and Bud Ford opened the first store in 1882, four miles outside of the Gap. St. Olaf Kirche Lutheran church was built of rock in 1886. Tired of traveling the distance in a horse and buggy, a brick church was constructed in Cranfills Gap in 1917. This was probably the church that Leonard Sorenson’s Norwegian family, Evelyn Sorenson’s in-laws, attended.    Although Evelyn wasn’t there in 1851, when the Gap was settled, she has been there for seventy-five years since just about the time the Gap gained its First National Bank in 1910. The townsite moved in 1913 just over the ridge, to its present site, in hopes of attracting a railroad.   During the 20s-30s, the town’s major industry was mohair and wool, Leonard Sorenson would have been one of the ranchers in this industry. During World War II, Cranfills Gap was the first town in the nation to sell more than its quota in the Fourth War Loan Drive.    Can you imagine a life without electricity, where you ride a horse to school and could get gas for twenty-five cents a gallon? The gasoline wasn’t used for cars; those weren’t popular yet. It was for gas-powered washing machines. Dad had to pull a crank to start it, like today’s lawn mowers. It was before sliced bread that sold for twenty-five cents for three loaves. This is what life was like for Evelyn Sorenson when she was growing up. Evelyn was born in 1912 at her parent’s home in Fairy, TX. She is now ninety-four years old and has lived in Cranfills Gap for the past seventy-five years. As a young child she had chores to do, helping around the house, washing dishes and laundry. With nine children in the family, her mother needed all the help she could get! Evelyn says that in her free time she would read. After all televisions weren’t available to the public until 1954. By 1929 Evelyn realized that if she wanted to avoid having to move in with her mother when she’s older, she would need to be able to make a living. She enrolled in Tarleton Univeristy to become a teacher. One of her most vivid memories is of the uniforms they had to wear. Boys wore pants but girls were not allowed. Girls wore blue pleated and starched dresses that went all the way to the floor. Evelyn says that they would almost stand up on their own and wrinkled horribly. After graduating, Evelyn moved to Cranfills Gap to live with her aunt and teach at Goar Community School. Two years into her teaching career she was introduced to a friend’s cousin, Leonard Sorenson. They married and moved to his family’s 216-acre ranch, where Leonard’s bachelor uncle also lived in a separate house. Evelyn took an eighteen-year break from teaching to raise her children. Her first child, Linda born in 1940, and her twin daughters, Jane and Joan, were born two years later. The girls learned to drive very young but didn’t have their own vehicles until after college. Evelyn resumed her teaching career in third and fourth grades. She says that most of her students are now retired. When she goes into town and sees a gray-haired former student, she has to ask them, “Now which little kid were you?” She switched schools for two years, teaching in Walnut Springs. The Superintendent’s son complained to his father that Evelyn’s assignments were too difficult. He later came back and let her know that while in college, History was a breeze thanks to her teaching. He became a teacher and is now retired. Evelyn still lives on Sorenson ranch, where in her time living there, moved only a couple houses down from her original house. She maintains an active lifestyle, which she says is the secret to longevity. She has many hobbies; picking up trash from the side of the highway, gardening and quilting. Evelyn has been quilting her entire life and still continues to do it by hand. She’s part of a quilting group that meets at the Cranfills Gap community center. She makes quilts for charity, raffles, graduations, baby births and just for fun. Her youngest great-grandchild is three and she already has her graduation quilt ready. Evelyn is also part of the Home Extension Club and in 2005 was the Grand Marshall of Cranfills Gap’s Septemberfest. She says the biggest changes she’s seen is the invention of electricity. She is also happy to have indoor plumbing, the telephone and the electric washing machine. “People should have a lot of spare time on their hands now,” Evelyn says. Throughout the years the population and businesses in the Gap have fluctuated. By the 1980s Cranfills Gap had nine businesses, and by year 2000 the population was 335. On the first Saturday in December the Gap holds the Lutefisk Supper. Lutefisk is a dried fish imported from Norway, which has been salted and soaked in lye for a week. Many people say its best with lots of butter. Hundreds used to flock to Cranfills Gap for the event but eventually the tradition died out. Cranfills Gap still hosts an annual festival, Septemberfest.

 

Relax in North Central Texas - Business Directory

Accommodation Americas Best Value Inn & Suites 1614 Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.americasbestvalueinn.com Reservations: 888.315.2378 t: 254.897.2111 f: 254.897.2232 Map top Attractions Granbury Live 114 N. Crockett St., Granbury, TX 76048 www.granburylive.com t: 817.573.0303 toll free: 800.989.8240 e: info@granburylive.com Map Lone Star Lanes 1815 W Lingleville Rd., Stephenville, TX 76401 www.nctxonlineguide.com/lsl.html t: 254.968.0440 e: lonestarlanes_info@yahoo.com Map  top Camping RV Parks Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Churches Stephenville First Assembly Hwy 377 and 67 (across from the Sheriff's dept) www.cornerstoneforchrist.org t: 254-918-5433 f: 254-965-0882 e: firstassembly@stephenville.com Map top Eateries Bakeries Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map top Health Care Dental Susan Baker, DDS 1104 Bluebonnet St, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.drsusanbaker.com t: 254.898.4646 f: 254.897.7321 e: sjbaker@windstream.net Map top Home Services Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Professional Services Business Consulting Powers Communication Serving all of North Central Texas www.nctxonlineguide.com/powerscom.html t: 254.436.0000 e: info@nctxonlineguide.com Computer Services John Cunyus - Mobile Computer Repair PO Box 482, Glen Rose, TX 76403 www.johncunyus.com/computerservice.html t: 254.897.4197 Toll Free: 888.896.6081 e: john@johncunyus.com top Ranch Services Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Real Estate Agents Home Inspectors Burgan Home Inspections Inspecting North / North Central Texas for over 20 years www.nctxonlineguide.com/burganinspections.html t: 254-898-0102 c: 817.379.9799 e: burganinspections@verizon.com Map top Retail Liquor Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Utilities Southwest Water & Electric Energy Powers Serving all of North Central Texas and the World www.sweepcorp.com e: info@sweepcorp.com top Wedding Services Creations Flowers & Gifts Tuxedo Rentals, Invitations, Antiques too! 1001 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.creationsflowers.net t: 254.897.1259 f: 254.897.9603 e: creationsflowers@windstream.net Map Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Sorenson's Quilts
Top of page

 

 

 

 

ref: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/hlc57.html