Greenville grew quickly thanks to‘ white gold’ grown in rich blackland soil
local history
King
When cotton was
Greenville grew quickly thanks to‘ white gold’ grown in rich blackland soil
By Kent Miller
Greenville didn’ t stay a small farm town for long following its birth – growing into one of North Texas’ main cotton centers thanks to its rich soil and, later, the railroad that linked it to bigger markets.
Greenville was founded in 1846 and named after Thomas Jefferson Green – a soldier and lawmaker from the Republic of Texas. In the early years, people mostly raised grain and livestock. By the 1870s, though, cotton had taken over as the main crop. The area’ s dark, heavy soil wasn’ t easy to work when it was wet but it was great for one thing in particular – growing good cotton.
24 GREENVILLE LIFE