When was denton texas established

The Square in The city expanded greatly as it became a strong agricultural trade center and manufacturing destination for mills and cottage industries. The creation of the Texas and Pacific Railway in gave Denton its first rail connection, and brought an influx of people to the area. Despite this, it did not develop into a strong manufacturing location, relying instead on agricultural workforces. As the universities increased in size, their impact on Denton's economy and culture also grew.

At one time, considered the cultural center of Denton, the area surrounding Fry Street was home to a group of shops , music venues , and restaurants. Many of the buildings were originally constructed in the s. From to , Denton was governed under a mayor-city commission form of government, but a new charter adopted in the latter year switched the city to a council-manager form of government.

In , the regional office of the Federal Civil Defense Administration moved from Dallas to Denton, and a few years later a large underground shelter was completed. For a time, it was the only FCDA underground shelter and was designated as the place from which the president of the United States and other federal officials would direct the country in case of attack. Denton grew rapidly from a population of 26, in , to 48, in Its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex , directly connected via Interstate 35 , played a major role in this growth.

Also, Denton County primarily consisted of subsistence agriculture and livestock prior to because the lack of water transportation meant the costs of transportation were up to ten times higher before railroads arrived.

Then, major growth began after the Civil War. Almost 50 percent of county land was in cultivation by , while Denton agriculture shifted from subsistence crops and livestock to rapidly increasing acreage of cotton and wheat during this period.

Cotton acreage increased from 29, acres in to , in — the same year 89 percent of the county was in cultivation. For wheat, acreage increased by more than 80, acres between and Denton County was ranked either first or second among Texas counties in wheat production from through and ranked tenth in wheat acreage and production in The population of Denton County had grown to 18, in , and by the turn of the century it had reached 28, In the county population had increased to 32, The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was built in , and today the building currently houses various government offices as well as a museum.

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Denton County Texas Before the arrival of white settlers, various Native American peoples, including the Kichai and the Lenape, infrequently populated the area. Because the Denton area was settled mostly by small subsistence farmers who owned few slaves and because it is far from the Mexican border and without large agricultural demand for hand labor, Denton has had relatively few Black or Hispanic residents. By the s, however, both universities enrolled a significant number of Black students as well as about 2, international students.

Denton grew rapidly from , when the population was 26,, to , when it was 48, Proximity to Dallas and Fort Worth, with good interstate highway connections, played a major role. Steady and at times rapid growth of enrollment at the two universities was important also.

In the city gained a third large state institution when the Denton State School , a school for the intellectually disabled, was established. By it had 1, students and several hundred employees. In the regional office of the Federal Civil Defense Administration moved from Dallas to Denton, and a few years later a large underground shelter was completed.

For a time it was the only FCDA underground shelter and was designated as the place from which the president of the United States and other federal officials would direct the country in case of attack.

After the city added many new residents as a result of the opening of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport , which is closer to Denton than to many parts of Dallas and Fort Worth. Many airline employees and executives who traveled for major companies took up residence in southeast Denton, the most rapidly growing residential area of the city by the s. Furthermore, such older manufacturing firms with significant employment as Moore's Business Forms and Morrison Milling Company were joined during the s and s by heavy manufacturing companies like Victor Equipment Company and Peterbilt, along with several additional light industrial concerns.

All of them provided increased employment for local labor.