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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.
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