Pottsboro

Caddo and Wichita Indian tribes occupied this area before Anglo settlement began in the 19th century. Among the early settlers was James G. Thompson, whose daughter, Sarah Virginia, married James A. Potts (1838-1905), a Confederate veteran, rancher, and land developer who moved to Grayson County in 1868. Recovering from a long construction delay caused by the Civil War, railroads began building lines through this area of Texas in the late 1870s. James and Sarah Potts deeded land for a right-of-way to the Denison and Pacific Railway, a subsidiary of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, in 1878. James Potts is credited with drawing up the plat for the new railroad town named in his honor. Within a decade Pottsboro boasted homes, churches, general stores, grist mills, a cotton gin, post office, hotel/saloon, and school. The town was incorporated on June 19, 1885. Pottsboro sustained serious damage from major fires in 1892, 1923, and 1924, but the citizens rebuilt and the town prospered. United States government construction of Perrin Army Air Field and Lake Texoma during the 1940s brought additional economic benefits to the town, which continues to play a vital role in the history of Grayson County.

Pottsboro is a historical marker in Pottsboro, Grayson County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 144 historical markers documented in Grayson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 208 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.7623, -96.6585 near Pottsboro. The nearest cataloged historic site is Reeves, George R. (historical marker), about 2.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Georgetown, New Negro Slave Cemetery, and Fink.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5181007422. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.