"Keeweechic's Greenville" a Greenville Travel Page by keeweechic

Greenville, the county seat of Hunt County, is around 60 miles northeast of Dallas. The county which consists of approximately 840 miles of Texas Blackland Prairie, was established in 1846 and Greenville was established to honour General Thomas J. Green. Residents decided on the town's location which was land donated by an early settler, McQuinney Wright. By 1853 the town had a post office, merchant store, three taverns and grocery stores, a law office, two hotels, a drug store and a school which was also used as a church.

The county voted in support of joining the Confederacy and during the war, Greenville raised and supported a company of soldiers who fought in Arkansas and eastern Tennessee. At the end of the war, two companies of federal cavalry were stationed in Greenville to maintain the peace which was threatened by a violet feud between ex Confederates and Unionists of Grayson County. The county's slave population also boomed to over 1200 with slaves from the deep south being sent to Texas in order that they might be kept for safekeeping.

With the introduction of the Missouri Kansas and Texas Railway and subsequent lines, Greenville became a rail town which encouraged cotton production in Hunt County and by the mid 1880's Greenville was a leading cotton marketing location. The community went on to ship over $1 million worth of cotton annually and supported 200 businesses.

Greenville also honours it's local and national wartime hero - Audie Murphy. Most of us know of him as an old time actor but it was surprising to me to find out that Audie was the US's most decorated soldier in WWII. He is honoured with a memorial outside the Courthouse, as well his life and achievements are proudly displayed at the American Cotton Museum.