City of Springtown
Springtown, Parker County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1856, Captain Joseph Ward, a native of New Jersey, settled on a creek fed by numerous springs seventeen miles northeast of Weatherford. In 1859, Ward designed the town square and named the plate Littleton's Springs after a pioneer family. The first settlers in Springtown found about twenty-five active springs within three major areas: Smith Springs, Malone Springs and Kinnard Springs. The town received its present name of Springtown in the mid-1870s because of the beautiful springs that came to the surface on the creek bank just south of the public square. From the beginning, Springtown Square has always been a bustling place of activity with many businesses nearby. Located in the center of town near a well, the square served as a meeting and gathering place where folks came to town to shop, trade and visit. The First Methodist Church was organized in 1857. In 1866, the new union church building housed the Methodists, Baptists and Cumberland Presbyterians, coming together with a different minister to lead services each week. By 1877, the town boasted a school, a hotel, two general stores, two blacksmith shops and three cotton gins. White's Funeral Home began in 1908 and has served the community for over 100 years. Many schools were established early on and Springtown became known as the educational capital of Northwest Texas from 1884 to 1894. By 1949-50, Springtown schools were among the most modern and financially independent in Parker County due to oil discovery in the district. Springtown is often called Parker County's second city. From small beginnings, the town has grown dramatically and will continue to be a source of pride in the community. (2017)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1856 New Jersey native Captain Joseph Ward settled beside a creek fed by dozens of springs, and by 1859 had platted a town square around Littleton's Springs. Renamed Springtown in the mid-1870s for its bubbling waters, the town filled quickly with churches, general stores, blacksmiths, and cotton gins. Its schools grew so strong that Springtown was known as the 'educational capital of Northwest Texas' from 1884 to 1894, later prospering further from oil.
Why it matters
Springtown's rise from a spring-fed campsite to an education and commercial hub captures the settlement pattern of North Central Texas in the nineteenth century.
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Related people
- · Joseph Ward
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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