Denton County, Texas
Cities, Towns & Communities
Alton | Argyle | Aubrey | Bartonville | Bolivar | Camey Spur | Carrollton (partly in Dallas and Collin County) | Coppell (mostly in Collin County) | Copper Canyon | Corinth | Corral City | Cross Roads | Dallas (mostly in Dallas County) | Denton | Dish | Double Oak | Elizabethtown | Flower Mound | Fort Worth (mostly in Tarrant County) | Frisco (partly in Collin County) | Garza | Hackberry | Haslet (partly in Tarrant County) | Hebron | Hickory Creek | Highland Village | Justin | Krugerville | Krum | Lake Dallas | Lakewood Village | Lewisville | Lincoln Park | Little Elm | Mingo | Mustang | Navo | Northlake | Oak Point | Parvin | Pinckneyville | Pilot Point | Plano (mostly in Collin County) | Ponder | Prosper (partly in Collin County) | Roanoke | Sanger | Shady Shores | Southlake (partly in Tarrant County) | Stony | The Colony | Trophy Club | Waketon | Westlake(partly in Tarrant County)
History
Denton County 1858. This is a new county, in the extreme northern part of the State. It is a good grain and fruit region ; surface level and easy to cultivate, being divided into prairie and timber ; frequently large crops of wheat and corn have been planted, with only the assistance of one horse and a plough, to break the soil.
Denton is the name of the county-seat, which is situate [sic] six miles west of Alton, the former county town ; it is a delightful place, located in a neck of prairie, connecting with the Grand Prairie. There are 600 voters in this county, and immigration is rolling in like a flood-tide in a northern. latitude. Pork is worth 2 1/2 cents per lb.; flour $3.50 per cwt.; corn 60 to 70 cents per bushel; and wheat 75 cents. The present low price and abundance of provisions offer great facilities to the emigrant, and those, persons who desire new homes can not do better in any part of the United States than in Denton. This county has good cattle and hog ranges ; being situated in the ” Cross Timber” country, there is a superabundance of mast, and hogs fatten on it, without an ear of corn. Distance from the town of Alton to Austin is 200 miles. information about Texas, 1858.
Denton County History 1922. This county was settled first in the early forties. It is located in the second tier of counties south of the Red River and is west of Collin and east of Wise counties. The county was created from Fannin in 1846 and was organized in July of that year. The first county seat was Pinckneyville, which was situated about one and one-half miles east of the present county site. Later the county seat was moved to a new town, which was called Alton, and moved again to a new site, on the banks of Hickory Creek, about six miles southeast of the city of Denton, to a new town which was also called Alton or “New Alton.” This move was made necessary because of the failure to find sufficient water at the first town of Alton. At the presidential election in 1856 the voters voted to move the county seat to what is now the city of Denton. On January 10, 1857, the citizens and other interested individuals gathered at the new town site and an auction was held by C. A. Williams, who was sheriff at that time and is still living in Denton. From that date the town of Denton dates its existence. Pilot Point is, however, the older town and was settled and of some importance commercially several years before the town of Denton existed.
County Histories
History and Reminiscences of Denton County, 1918 by Edward Franklin Bates (reprinted 1976), an overview of Denton County including the history of various time periods and specific aspects of the area as well as reminiscences of citizens.
History of Denton, Texas, from Its Beginning to 1960, 1978, by C. A. Bridges.
Location
Denton, TX 33° 12′ 53.4276″ N, 97° 7′ 59.0448″ W
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