Farmers Branch, Dallas County
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.