Pilot Point in Denton County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
City of Pilot Point
Photographed By Carolyn Sanders, June 22, 2022
1. City of Pilot Point Marker
Attracted by fertile land and abundant water and game, pioneers began to settle at this site near the edge of the Crosstimber region in the late 1840s. The village, first known as Pilot's Point, was named for a high point of timber that served travelers as a landmark. Near an early immigrant trail, Pilot Point was also a stop on the Butterfield Stage Route.
A townsite was platted in 1854 on land originally granted to Charles Smith. Dr. R. W. Eddleman (1825-1904) of Missouri came here to launch a medical practice and open a drugstore. James D. Walcott ran the earliest general store and became the first postmaster in 1855. Alphius Knight, a settler from New York, built and conducted the first school in the town. Established by three local residents in 1872, Pilot Point Seminary was later renamed Franklin College and operated here for almost 30 years. In 1878 the town's first newspaper was published and in 1884 a bank opened.
A marketing center for farmers and stockraisers, Pilot Point had a grist mill and a cotton gin. The arrival of two railroads, the Texas & Pacific and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, boosted the local economy in the 1880s. Agriculture and light industry form the base of the town's economy in the 1970s.
Erected 1978 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.
Location. 33° 23.788′ N, 96° 57.658′ W. Marker is in Pilot Point, Texas, in Denton County. Marker is on South Washington Street south of West Main Street, on the left when traveling south. The marker is in the town square. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pilot Point TX 76258, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Pilot Point Post-Signal (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pilot Point Church of Christ (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Belew Cemetery (approx. 3.8 miles away); Primitive Baptist Church of Tioga (approx. 5˝ miles away); Tioga United Methodist Church (approx. 5.6 miles away); Tioga Cemetery (approx. 6.2 miles away); First Christian Church of Aubrey (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pilot Point.
Photographed By Jackson Frye
2. City of Pilot Point Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2021, by J Frye of Fort Worth, Texas. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 17, 2023, by Carolyn Sanders of Plano, Texas. 2. submitted on October 13, 2021, by J Frye of Fort Worth, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
