Bartonville
Bartonville, Denton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The town of Bartonville grew out of early post-Texas Revolution settlements in Denton County. Denton Creek, which split into the Loving Branch and the Sharps Branch, provided fresh water to the town. Early subsistence farmers found fertile sandy soil for their crops, which included peanuts, wheat, corn, cotton and barley. In 1881, two brothers, Bentley B. Barton (1849–1905) and James M. Barton (1840–1893) purchased ten acres near the southeast corner of the A. R. Loving Survey. Situated along the Old Wagon Trail (FM 407) and the crossroad between Denton, Grapevine and Lewisville, the site proved to be a valuable center of commerce. Bentley’s store prospered, selling goods and milling wheat grown by local farmers. The town was first known as “Barton’s Mill,” then changed to Bartonville by 1883. With the store as its hub, the community grew with the help of founding families: Breeding, Broom, Jeter and McMakin. Under the care of its numerous owners, for 130 years, the Bartonville Store proved to be a lasting center of local commerce for the community and a landmark identifier for the town. In 1960, to prevent annexation by the city of Irving, Bartonville residents voted to incorporate the town. The borders of the newly incorporated town made it the largest in the county with nearly 30 square miles which included present Double Oak and Copper Canyon. In 1964, Bartonville was disincorporated and in 1973 a smaller geographical town was reincorporated with the Bartonville Store still at its hub. The store was permanently closed in 2013 but is viewed as the original cornerstone of this rural community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Bartonville grew from post-Texas Revolution settlement along Denton Creek, where fertile sandy soil drew subsistence farmers raising peanuts, cotton, and grain. In 1881 brothers Bentley and James Barton bought ten acres at a busy crossroads; Bentley's store and gristmill prospered, and the settlement soon shed the name "Barton's Mill" for Bartonville. The store remained the town's hub through incorporation, disincorporation, and reincorporation over 130 years, closing only in 2013.
Why it matters
The rise and endurance of a crossroads store trace how commerce, not just farming, knit scattered Texas homesteads into a town with its own identity.
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Related people
- · Bentley B. Barton
- · James M. Barton
Themes & tags
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