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Rowlett, Texas

BACK TO THE BEGINNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROWLETT, TEXAS

In the later months of 1835, Daniel Rowlett and a few other families migrated from Tennessee to Texas. Tulip Bend on the Red River is where they called home, which is close to where Bonham is now. Collin County, close to modern-day Allen, was part of the land grant he received for his service during the Texas Revolution. There was a big creek there, and eventually it was called Rowlett’s Creek because of where it was. Daniel Rowlett rose to prominence in Fannin County, but he was never a resident of the area around the creek that bears his name. It is the “Old Inglish Cemetery” in Bonham where Mr. Rowlett rests in peace.

The W.S. Peters Colony and the Charles Mercer Colony were the two immigration firms that split the territory that is now Rowlett. Peters property was located west of Rowlett Road. The Mercer Colony controlled a narrow section of eastern Dallas County south of Rowlett Road and generally south of Peters. In the 1840s, American settlers first arrived in this region. In 1846, the county of Dallas was established. In 1844, the first Francophones and Deutschs arrived in Texas. They first established colonies in central Texas, later relocating to the northern part of the state in the 1850s.

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In honor of its first postmaster, Austin Morris, the new post office on April 5, 1880 was given the name Morris. To honor Rowlett Creek, a significant tributary of the east fork of the Trinity River, the town’s name was subsequently altered to Rowlett. After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads westward brought fresh waves of settlers. Many Texas communities began with the construction of a railroad and the installation of a cotton gin. Rowlett was connected to the rest of the world in 1889 when the Greenville & Dallas Railroad opened. Rowlett was a bustling farm community with shops, a post office, a general store, a school, and a church by the turn of the century.

The second paved highway to cross the United States, the Bankhead Highway, reached Rowlett in 1921. Its route was from the nation’s capital to the city of San Diego. In 1952, 84 residents of Rowlett cast ballots to officially establish the city. Cotton production was the town of Rowlett’s bread and butter. Two cotton gins are still operational today, albeit for different purposes.

Rowlett was cut out of the route to Dallas when I-30 was constructed in the 1960s. Rowlett became a community on the shores of a lake after the 1971 completion of the Lake Ray Hubbard Reservoir, which provides the city with more than 30 miles of shoreline. The lake is owned by Dallas and is used as a water supply for the city. Many people visit the lake to engage in leisure pursuits. Growth was inevitable because of our location near a major highway and the presence of a lake on our property. The population of Rowlett has increased from 5,100 in 1978 to over 70,000 today. Don’t forget to learn about Sachse, Texas here too.

Rowlett was and is a city built by family, friends, and community; many of the city’s original settlers still have ties to the area. If you come in for a visit, you’ll quickly feel at ease.

When did Rowlett change appearance?

Located in extreme eastern Dallas County and a small section of western Rockwall County, Rowlett is home to over 70,000 people and the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard. Rowlett, located only 20 minutes east of downtown Dallas, features more than 30 miles of beautiful shoreline on Lake Ray Hubbard thanks to its location on two peninsulas jutting out into the lake. We are one of only a few places in the area where you can sit back, relax, and watch the sun set over the lake; you can also go kayaking from Scenic Point Park, have a family picnic, and engage in a variety of water sports right here.

People choose to live in Rowlett because it has all the benefits of a small town. You’ll find it all in Rowlett: top-notch educational institutions, one-of-a-kind shopping venues, reasonably priced housing, first-rate medical care provided by an exceptional regional hospital, scenic lakeside parks, exciting community events, and more.

Because of the proximity to the President George Bush Turnpike and the DART Blue Line light rail to Rowlett, we have become a prime location for new development, welcoming people from all over the world. These two major regional transportation corridors serve as economic engines that bring visitors and major development directly to the heart of Rowlett, making Rowlett the preferred location for even more businesses and for potential new residents who seek attractive, reasonably priced urban-style lakeshore living.

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