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| Most local historians believe
Carrollton received its name from the hometown of early settlers, who came from
Carrollton, Illinois. The name was officially established on May 16, 1878, when
the first U.S. Post Office opened in Carrollton. |
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Carrollton's early settlers arrived in
the 1840s. These early settlers purchased land from The Peters Colony. These
hardy pioneers were rugged individuals with incredible courage to risk it all
for their dream of a better life and an even better life for future
generations. These people had the determination to withstand the hardships of
their treacherous journeys to this untamed frontier - a foreign and wild
country.
These several hundred industrious
families shared a dream of prosperity. They planted crops, raised cattle and
sheep, and built homes and churches.
One story told is about an early
settler who came to scout the area before bringing his family to this area. He
was so impressed with what he saw that he scooped up a handful of dirt to take
back to his family to show them how rich the soil was for farming.
Another story with a different outcome
is told about a family arriving from Europe. They were frightened by the sight
of the longhorns and returned to Europe. Most settlers were farmers, but
teachers, lawyers, preachers, and doctors also came to the area. Farming was
the main form of occupation, but many professionals supplemented their income
by farming and raising cattle.
The settlers typically married young
and had large families. An average cabin might have been only 12 x 14 feet and
would hold two parents with seven children.
The 1850 Federal Census for Dallas
County and its neighboring counties reveals that most families had migrated
from another state before settling in the area. Although these early pioneers
seemed to be nomadic, they found their roots in North Texas. |
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During this time of settlement,
newcomers were camping and building cabins in an area around present-day Perry
Park. The rise of the land to the south provided a good lookout advantage, and
the springs provided plenty of clear, fresh water. After the initial hardships
of the journey and the first few years of settling in, life took on a normal
routine for these Carrollton settlers. A list of menu items from a 1903 reunion
of one of the first families is as follows: |
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| Branch Water, Salted
Pecans, Buffalo Broth, Steer Portage, Buffalo Ham, Bear Ribs, Jack Rabbit with
Onions, Roast Mallard Duck, Prairie Hen Fricassee, Venison, Wild
Turkey,Terrapin Roast with Wild Honey, Cucumber Pickles, Sweet Potatoes,Coffee,
Tea, and Sweet Milk, Pumpkin Pie, Indian Pudding, Devonshire Cream, Dried
Peaches, Persimmons, Red Haws, and Pig Plums. |
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The city of Carrollton is a part of a
greater area of land that was once home to the Wichita Indians. This group was
divided into several tribes - the most predominant being the Tawakonis, Wacos,
Taovayas, and Wichita's proper. They migrated from what is now Kansas and
established villages along the Trinity, Red, and Brazos rivers about the same
time the French and Spanish were competing to establish a foothold in east
Texas in the late 1600s.
The Wichita Indians were short and
stockily built, with very dark skin color. Both men and women practiced
extensive tattooing on their faces and bodies. They seem to have gotten along
well and conducted trade with the French, although they often fought the
Spanish. In addition to hunting buffalo, the Wichita tribes were industrious
and grew crops such as pumpkins, squash, beans, corn, and maize. They were
excellent horsemen and placed a great value on their horses. Women often held
places of leadership in the tribes and shared in the work with the men.
The Comanches, who eventually got
control of the Red River area, were a constant threat to the Wichita Indians.
They also had difficulties with the migration of Anglos into North Texas and
eventually removed themselves to a reservation in Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
near present day Anadarko, Oklahoma.
An excellent article on Texas Indians
can be found at
The
Handbook of Texas Online. |
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By 1853, Trinity Mills was a thriving
grain mill, which was typically surrounded by wagons, carts, buggies, horses,
and people. The mill produced flour and meal from corn and wheat. People came
from miles around to have their corn and wheat ground into meal and flour. The
exact location of this two-story rock gristmill is not known, but it is
reported to be on the south bank of White Rock Creek, east of present-day
Farmers Branch-Carrollton. A large grain elevator was built in 1950 for storage
of private and government supplies.
Cotton was king during this period in
history, and cotton gins that had been built in the area to accommodate a few
settlers began to ship cotton and cotton seed throughout the nation. There were
about 13 cotton gins in the Carrollton area at the beginning of 1900. The 1924
cotton crop from the Carrollton area produced 300 bales.
Around 1904, a new industry emerged in
Carrolton - manufacturing brick. The Carrollton Pressed Brick Company was
located northeast of the Carrollton Town Square, adjacent to the Cotton Belt
and Frisco railroads. The best-known structures made from brick produced at
this plant are the Belle Allen home on Clint Street, the chimney and fireplace
in the Wade H. Perry home, the Gravley Hardware store on the Carrollton Square,
the Vandergriff building on the southwest corner of the Carrollton Square, and
possibly some stores on the north side of the square. It is also reported that
the old high school in Grapevine was made from Carrollton brick. Brick from
this plant is easily identified. They have the name CARROLLTON embedded on it
and are highly prized by collectors.
In 1890 the first telephone went into
operation in Carrollton, and the first commercial electricity became available
in 1913 when a private power plant opened.
The first composite listing of
business, industrial, and professional services available in Carrollton is
found in the Texas State Gazeteer and Business Directory for 1882. With
an estimated population of 500, the town had one steam gristmill, four cotton
gins, two churches, and two schools. Exports were cotton and grain.
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A new era was beginning for Carrollton
with the arrival of railroads and a post office in the late 1800s. Carrollton
quickly emerged from an agricultural community to a hub of bustling business
and professional activity. The Dallas-Wichita Railroad arrived in Carrollton in
1879. By 1908, there were three railroads using Carrollton as a way station.
The Cottonbelt and the Katy Railroads provided passenger service and maintained
a depot while the Frisco Railroad only provided freight service. Prior to the
1940s, all significant commerce was by rail. The tracks of all three
intersected just north of what is now the Carrollton Town Square. Having three
railroads intersect was unique for this part of the country and contributed to
Carrollton's early prosperity.
With the coming of the railroads,
Carrollton developed into a sizable shipping center, particularly for cattle. A
depot was established in Carrollton, and daily mail was then available by rail.
In 1922 the Texas Interurban Railway, an electric train, began passenger
service in Carrollton for transport between Dallas and Denton. The first
locomotive to the area was in 1923. |
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Since the ability to read and write
was not necessary for farming at that time, a large number of farmers were
illiterate, but they wanted a good education for their children. With this
focus on education, the Carrollton community was intent on providing
educational facilities. Various private schools were established with the
cooperative efforts of several families who furnished a meeting place and paid
for a teacher's salary and schoolroom equipment.
The first school was started in 1856
in the Union Baptist Church, where Perry Cemetery is located today.
Around 1871, in a log cabin with a
dirt floor and Mrs. Lou Skinner as the teacher, school was held for about 25
pupils who came on horseback or on foot. The cabin was located on what is now
Denton Drive near the area of Jeanette Way. This cabin was moved in 1873 to the
present-day intersection of Josey Lane and Country Club Road with John Larkin
as the teacher.
Although there had been schools in
Carrollton prior to 1890, the first building that was officially dedicated as a
schoolhouse was erected circa 1890. Located near the present-day intersection
of Josey Lane and Country Club Drive, it was called Carrollton Academy.
On September 1, 1902, a new two-story
frame schoolhouse admitted its first students. It was on the northeast corner
of College Avenue (now Belt Line Road) and Erie Street at the foot of the hill
and offered first through tenth grades. Although it was a public school,
tuition was still charged, as there were no school property taxes at that time.
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In 1900 George Myers and his brother
J.S. filed a plat for property on what would become the east and south sides of
the Carrollton Town Square. Then in 1901, they filed a plat for property to the
west, and the town square began to take shape. By 1913 the town square was the
center of a thriving community. The Carrollton Mercantile Company, besides
being a dry goods and general store, offered hearses for funerals - your choice
of black or gray, with matching horses owned by Arch Fyke.
With the convenience of being located
near the railroads, Carrollton Town Square developed where it did because of
its abundant water supply. A creek ran through the middle of the square.
Eventually a pump was installed, and water was piped to stores and a few homes.
The water works and a hand-pushed fire hose cart were concealed in the bottom
of the bandstand that was erected in the middle of the town square where the
current-day gazebo now stands.
Due to the efficient water supply in
the area, Carrollton's first ice wagon delivery business began in 1904 or 1905.
There was one delivery of ice each week except when the weather grew hotter -
then two deliveries a week were made. Ice tea was usually a Sunday treat along
with homemade ice cream. Before ice was available, a family built shelving or
boxes made of wood or brick for submerging in a spring or creek so the milk and
butter would stay cool and fresh. If a spring or creek was not close, wet
cloths were wrapped around the milk pails and butter dishes and placed into the
windows so the breeze would keep the dampened cloths cool.
Perishable fruits and vegetables were
canned, preserved, or pickled, and meat was cured with smoke or salt and kept
hanging in a smokehouse.
The gazebo in the middle of
current-day Carrollton Town Square was built in 1921. Concerts by the town
band, speeches by political candidates, and Saturday dances provided
entertainment on the square.
The first theater in Carrollton was an
outdoor, makeshift screen stretched across the side of the George F. Myers
Grocery Store. The Plaza Theater was built in 1949 and still stands today. This
theater served patrons from a 10-mile radius until the 1970's.
The town square is still an active
retail area. Click here to go to the
Old Downtown
Carrollton Association website. |
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On June 14, 1913, Carrollton voted to
incorporate as a general law city. The vote was 52 for and 23 against. The
first city officers were elected on July 19, 1913, with William Forrest Vinson
elected as Carrollton's first Mayor. For reasons now unknown, Vinson declined
the office. Junius Tribble (J.T.) Rhoton qualified and served as Mayor through
1915.
The City of Carrollton received a deed
from J.R. McFarland in 1933. This property is located on the southeast corner
of College Avenue (now Belt Line Road) and Denton Drive. This became the site
for Carrollton's first City Hall and fire station.
By the mid-1920s, Carrollton had held
its first bond election and organized a volunteer fire department. During the
next two decades, Carrollton's first official police force was hired.
Carrollton's first city charter was adopted in 1961, providing for a home-rule
form of government under a manager and city council.
Governor John Connally attended
Carrollton's 50th anniversary ceremony in 1963 and dedicated a new library and
recreation center. |
| (Location maps are in Adobe
Acrobat (PDF) format, and will open in new windows.) |
| 1. |
A.W. Perry Homestead Museum
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1509 North Perry Road
(map)
(972) 466-6380 |
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This lovely homestead was the third
owned by DeWitt C. Perry, son of founder A.W. Perry. It was completed in 1909
using building materials carefully salvaged from the Perry's second family home
built around 1857 on the same site. The site of the original Perry home, built
in the 1840s is at the northwest corner of the intersection of Jackson Road and
Old Denton Road. The museum displays authentic period furnishings and is now
maintained by the City. Group tours are available free of charge.
Click here for more information about the museum, including
its hours. |
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| 2. |
A.W. Perry Cemetery |
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West of the intersection
of Sherwood Drive and Perry Road
(map) |
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The first Carrollton cemetery was
opened with the burial of Mrs. A. W. Perry in 1896. Most of the 482 graves at
this site are of pioneer families. |
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| 3. |
Belle Allen Home |
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1208 Clint Street
(map) |
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This 1910 three-story prairie-style
home was built with Carrollton brick and occupied by Mrs. Belle Allen, an
historic civic leader for 46 years. |
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| 4. |
Bramblitt Woodright |
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2335 Sandy Lake Road (10
acres located in Elm Fork Nature Preserve)
(map) |
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Purchased in 1861, the wood from this
property was used by the Elkanah Bramblitt family for over 122 years to provide
shelter and fuel for cooking and heat. |
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| 5. |
Carrollton Town
Square |
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Bounded by Broadway, 4th,
Elm and West Main Streets
(map) |
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The Square's formation began prior to
1900 with buildings erected that cultivated commerce and created the first
downtown Carrollton. A fresh spring flowed through the center of the square
where the gazebo now stands. The Square still has early 20th century charm and
continues to be a focal point for many town gatherings.
The town square is still an active
retail area. Click here to go to the
Old Downtown
Carrollton Association website. |
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| 6. |
Carrollton High School |
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1709 E. Belt Line Road
(map)
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The oldest school in the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Land donated by DeWitt Clinton Perry
and sister Harriet Perry Warner. Construction began December, 1935,
school opened September 14, 1936. Though “DeWitt Perry High School”
was in stone over the entrance, it was referred to as Carrollton High
School and diplomas were issued in that name. DeWitt Perry name
officially recognized in 1962 when Turner High School opened and this
became a junior high school.
This is also the site of the first Carrollton High School building
“Old Red” which opened on January 19, 1916. That two-story &
basement building was built of red brick from the Carrollton Brick
Company. Previously, students attended an unpainted clapboard school
at the corner of what is now Belt Line & Erie. “Old Red” was razed in
1966 for additions to DeWitt Perry Jr. High and the Harriet Perry
Warner Gymnasium. The original cornerstone for “Old Red” is located
adjacent to this marker. |
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| 7. |
Carrollton Railroad
Crossing |
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College Avenue at North
Broadway Street
(map) |
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This unusual railroad track
intersection served the Cotton Belt, Missouri, Kansas & Texas ("Katy"), and
St. Louis & San Fransciso ("Frisco") railroads which provided commercial
and passenger service through Carrollton, enabling the city to grow and
prosper.
(Note: the
marker was damaged by a vehicle, and has been removed for safe-keeping. We plan
to delay re-installation until after construction of the
DART LRT
line.) |
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| 8. |
Carrollton Black
Cemetery |
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Approximately 1,000 feet
west of Hutton Drive and 600 feet south of Belt Line Road
(map) |
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Although dating back more than 100
years, this cemetery was not formally dedicated until 1915. Despite periodic
flooding, several gravestones are still visible. |
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| 9. |
First Carrollton Post
Office |
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Marker located on the west
side of Broadway Street, between 3rd and 4th
Avenues |
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John Miller Myers made the application
for Carrollton's first post office on May 10, 1878. It was moved a few blocks
to Carrollton Square in the 1890s. |
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| 10. |
First United Methodist Church
(congregation) |
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2201 East Hebron Parkway
(map) |
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In August 1901, a group met under a
brush arbor near the corner of Walnut St and Jackson St forming what would
become the First Methodist Church. A circuit preacher, John Major, preached
monthly. The church, built in 1903 at Jackson St and Belt Line Rd, was the
first within the city limits. A 2nd church was built at the same location in
1915, a 3rd on Pearl St in 1957, and ground was broken in 2003 for a 4th on
Hebron Pkwy. The congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 14th,
2001. |
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| 11. |
Furneaux Cemetery |
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East and west sides of
Cemetery Hill Road, south of Rosemeade Parkway
(map) |
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In 1884 this cemetery was established
with the burial of Mr. William Furneaux, who immigrated to Texas in 1857 from
England. A Methodist Church was originally located here. |
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| 12. |
Hebron First Baptist Church
(congregation) |
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3000 Hebron Parkway
(map) |
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Organized in 1883 at the Willow
Springs School, this congregation was originally known as the Big Valley
Baptist Church. E.C. Bramblett served as the first pastor. |
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| 13. |
Josey Ranch |
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1440 Keller Springs Road,
at Josey Lane
(map) |
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In the 1940s, "Colonel" C.W. Josey
purchased the first 70 acres of "Josey Rancho," and continued to acquire
acreage to raise buffalo and longhorns. Today the remainder of the 1,000-acre
ranch contains a popular city sports complex. The lake on the site is the
result of a quarry supplying clay to one of Carrollton's two brick factories.
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| 14. |
Pioneer Park |
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Carroll at Main Streets
(map) |
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Located on the site of Carrollton's
first City Hall, this half-acre mini-park is dedicated to the pioneer families
who settled in this area. |
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| 15. |
Plaza Theatre |
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1115 Fourth Avenue
(map) |
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The Plaza Theatre was built in the
Carrollton Town Square by Mrs. A.R. Lowrey and her son, John. It opened
December 23, 1949, and operated continuously until December 31, 1994, surviving
the "golden age of motion pictures." |
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| 16. |
Riley Cemetery
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1328 Riley Drive
(map) |
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Born in Indiana in 1815, Jacob Riley
came to southeastern Denton County in the mid-1850s and claimed a preemption
grant of 160 acres on Indian Creek. He and his descendants held the land for
more than 100 years. As family members died, they were buried on the site
overlooking the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. This little cemetery was high
enough to avoid flooding, and it remained undisturbed until development of the
property began in 1996. Typical of remote pioneer homesteads and once quite
common, few family burial grounds remain. |
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| 17. |
Simms Chapel AME Church
(congregation) |
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1229 West College Avenue
(map) |
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Around 1890, a plot of land near
the current intersection of Crosby Road and Stemmons Freeway (IH 35E) was
donated by a Reverend John Miller Myers, one of the organizing members of the
Union Baptist Church of Carrollton (now known as Highland Baptist Chuch) as a
site for a church where African-Americans could gather for worship. The
Reverend Wash Simms (called the "Black Angel" because of his fiery sermons) was
the first pastor.
In 1939, the church moved to its current location. The
move was necessitated by the construction of U.S. Highway 77, now Stemmons
Freeway (IH-35E).
Note: this
congregation is no longer active, and the property has been sold. The City has
removed the marker pending relocation in an appropriate
spot. |
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| 18. |
Trinity Mill and Community
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Roughly the current
intersection of
Stemmons Freeway (IH-35E) and the
President George Bush
Turnpike /Trinity Mills Road
(map) |
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About 1851, brothers W.H. and Preston
Witt began building a steam mill on the property of brother-in-law A.W. Perry
1/10 mile north of here to serve settlers in Dallas and Denton counties. In
1855 Perry sold his interest to W.H. Witt. By 1858, a store and post office
were added. The Scott family bought the business after the Civil War. They
later platted and sold 50 acres to the railroad for a depot. The community
prospered by farming and mining gravel. The store closed in 1915 and the depot
closed in 1923. The gravel operation ceased in 1966. |
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| 19. |
Union Baptist Church
(congregation) |
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4561 North Josey Lane
(map) |
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Established on May 11, 1846 it is the
first and oldest continuing Baptist congregation in Dallas County. The first
meeting was held in a pioneer cabin in the general location of the Keenan
Cemetery in Farmers Branch. Although the site of the first Carrollton location
is not known with certainty, the church moved to the southwest corner of
College Avenue (present-day Belt Line Road), and Myers Street in the 1940's
following the growth of Carrollton. At that time it was called the College
Avenue Missionary Baptist Church.
In 1961, the congregation moved to a new building located at 1225
N. Josey Lane, and changed their name to Highland Baptist Church.
In 2000, they moved again to
4561 N. Josey Lane and changed their name to Castle Hills Baptist
Church.
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| 20. |
Vandergriff Street |
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Downtown Carrollton
(map) |
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This street is dedicated in honor of
John Thomas Vandergriff who was a beloved blacksmith and automobile dealer, and
an active civic leader. |
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| 21. |
Warner Cemetery |
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2600 Belmeade Drive
(map) |
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Robert and Sarah Warner began this
family cemetery in 1873. It contains 10 marked graves. |
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| 22. |
City of
Carrollton |
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Marker on the south side
of City Hall,
1945 E Jackson Road
(map) |
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Carrollton incorporated June 14, 1913,
with a 52 - 23 vote. A city council was elected July 19, 1913. With 40 Votes,
William Forest Vinson was elected as Carrollton's first mayor. Vinson, who also
served as the presiding officer of the election, school board trustee, precinct
chairman and Dallas County sheriff, declined the office. August 5, 1913, Junius
Tribble (J.T.) Rhoton qualified and served as mayor through 1915. |
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History
& Historic Preservation Links |
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