Excelsior, Free State

Excelsior is a small farming town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was formed by farmers in 1910 who wanted a town which was closer to them than Winburg and Ladybrand.

The farmers had to decide on which farm the town will be established, the two farms were Sunshine and the others Excelsior(Latin), which means in English Higher Up, or in Afrikaans Hoer op,the farm Excelsior were chosen due to the location higher up. The first church were erected in the vanity of where today the Farmers Co-op is situated, while the new new sand stone building were built. Excelsior in the late 1960 early 1970 were in the news for the Apartheids legislation, a better under standing on what happen between white male and black females could be read in the Book Madonna of Excelsior.

As all small towns ghost stories were very popular, Piet Bok's house had the rumours of ghosts and demons in this old house, the owner shot himself in this house.

The secondary Tar Roads were built in 1980 to 1984, and this helped not travelling on the gravel roads to Bloemfontein via Verkeerdevlei. Many accidents and deaths on the roads close to town occurred before the roads were updated.

Water to the town were supplied via boreholes, filled with good levels of fluoride and stored in a sandstone reservoirs up at the "neck" the road to Winburg, kids consuming this water all have good teeth.

Today a weather station is based at this small town, and very accurate reading helps farmers plan the crops better.