Cartersville
Springtown, Parker County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1866 by Judge W. F. Carter, Henry C. Vardy, and Thomas Parkinson, Cartersville was a thriving community for many years. At its height, the town boasted two main thoroughfares, Main Street and College Avenue. Local businesses included stores, a blacksmith shop, corn mill, flour mill, and cotton gin. A post office opened in 1867, and the town also included homes, a school, and two churches. The name of the town was changed to Carter in 1888. By the early 1900s the town began to decline, and little now remains of the community. (1988)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1866 by a judge and two partners, Cartersville grew into a bustling community with two main streets, a school, two churches, and mills and gins serving area farmers. A post office opened in 1867 and the town was renamed Carter in 1888. By the early 1900s it had begun to fade, and little remains today.
Why it matters
Cartersville is one of the many Reconstruction-era Texas towns that briefly flourished and then vanished, marking the boom-and-bust rhythm of frontier settlement.
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Themes & tags
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