Pioneers of Mustang Branch

During the early days of settlement in the northwestern part of Dallas County, the creek that runs nearby was known as Mustang Branch. Most likely named for the mustang horses that frequented the area or for the mustang grapes that grew here. The stream provided a focal point around which some members of the Peters Colony chose to settle. In 1841 Thomas Keenan built a cabin on the creek, and within a few years a number of settlers had come to the area, attracted by its fertile soil and available water supply. Their community came to be known as Farmers Branch. A blacksmith shop and gristmill were begun in 1845 by the Rev. William Bowles, a Baptist minister. The same year I. B. Webb, another early settler, donated land for a church and school. Webb also served as first postmaster when the Farmers Branch post office was established in 1848. By the end of the decade cotton and wheat had become very productive crops on area farms. The name for this stream later became commonly known as Farmers Branch. The pioneers who first settled near the tributary left a rich heritage. Today the city of Farmers Branch is a major Dallas County commercial center.

Pioneers of Mustang Branch is a historical marker in Farmers Branch, Dallas County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 352 historical markers documented in Dallas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 574 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.9241, -96.8673 near Farmers Branch. The nearest cataloged historic site is Marsh Cemetery (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Webb Chapel Cemetery, Rawhide Creek and Park, and Dallas Christian College.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5113006820. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.