What is the history of Argyle, Texas?
The first white settlement, consisting of a few families, occurred in the Argyle area in the 1850s. The place was then known as Pilot Knob or Waintown. The settlement gradually acquired a few amenities in the late 1800s: a post office in 1878, a school in 1875, and a Baptist church in 1876. The community was formally founded and renamed Argyle in 1881, after the Texas and Pacific railroad built a track through the area. A railroad surveyor named the town after a garden in France. Growth was very slow during the nineteenth century, and by 1890 Argyle only had a population of 148. The town did boast several agriculture-related industries, such as grist mills, general stores, and a cotton gin. In 1885 Argyle built a two-story brick school, and population grew until it reached 238 in 1930. Electricity and telephone service became available in the mid-1930s. The Great Depression took its toll on the Argyle area, and population declined to only ninety in 1950. Argyle incorporated as a separa
