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ALTON, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town
Denton County, North Central Texas
Less than a mile from Corinth
A few miles SE of Denton
Inquire locally – not on state map
Population: 0

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Hickory Creek, Denton County, Texas
View of Hickory Creek from the Old Alton Bridge
Photo courtesy Lexie Nichols and Jordan Gibson, 2007

History in a Pecan Shell

For a town that no longer exists, Alton has a fascinating history. In 1848 the Texas legislature decided that Alton would become the county seat of government for Denton County, replacing the community of Pinckneyville.

Present-day Corinth is less than a mile from what was the first town to be named Alton. The county seat was occupied by a single resident (W. C. Baines) for three years and the lack of potable water was one reason for this. This problem was settled by the state legislature in 1850 by designating a new site on Hickory Creek (five miles south of present-day Denton).

The new site retained the name and submitted an application for a post office. A hotel and two stores soon appeared, but the location was unsatisfactory for a majority of Denton County residents. In 1856 they petitioned for yet another county seat, one with better water and more centrally located.

In late 1856 they held an election and decided to accept an offer by three businessmen who were to provide 100 acres of land for Denton County’s permanent county seat. The new site was named Denton and Alton became a historical footnote and ghost town.


The Old Alton Bridge in Denton County

Photographer's Note: "It was built in 1884 and crosses Hickory creek. The settlement is a few miles southeast of Denton." - Lexie Nichols and Jordan Gibson, October 2007
Old Alton Bridge, Denton County, Texas
Old Alton Bridge over Hickory Creek, Denton County, Texas

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This page last modified: November 12, 2007