Sam Bass and Buried Treasure

Prior to 1881, Argyle was known as Pilot Knob, named so by early settlers to the area after an oblong hill rising above the prairie of southern Denton. "The Knob," as it was referred to, marks the end of the Eastern Cross Timbers and the beginning of the Grand Prairie. It was also the lookout for infamous outlaw, Sam Bass. Sam and his gang robbed the Pacific Union Railroad of $60,000 in newly minted 1877 twenty dollar gold pieces. Sam Bass died at the age of 27 of... [More]

Johns' Well and Campground

The water in Johns' Well flowed in a circle to a depth of twenty-five to thirty feet. When other wells would dry up, settlers would come from miles around to haul water back home for their use. Ingenuity provided an easier method of drawing water from the well. A bucket was tied on each end of the well rope and each time it was pulled up, a bucket of water was drawn. Various types of rigging with ropes, wheels, pulleys, wagons and sleds were utilized by the settlers to use "horse" power rather than "man" power to draw water from the well.

The gatherings at Johns' Well Camp Ground fulfilled... [More]

Cotton and Cattle

One of the first commercial enterprises in the Argyle area was the cattle business. Post-Civil War settlers had brought their cattle with them in their migration to Argyle and found that the area was all open range. The cattle business really began to boom after the coming of the railroad in 1881 and continued to be the livelihood of many settlers during the early 1900's. As well as encouraging the cattle business, the railroad opened the door to new enterprises for Argyle farmers. With transportation, far-off markets became accessible, and farmers began to grow small grain crops such as wheat and oats as a commercial crop. Very little hay was raised during this early period of Argyle's history, and old-timers recall... [More]

Cops and Robbers

The Argyle State Bank had its beginning on September 29, 1906, when a group of citizens filed with the Secretary of State of Texas for a bank charter. A red brick building housed the bank in the front part and the back part was a drugstore. The bank had a rather unusual history... [More]

What's in a Name?

The town of Argyle was founded in 1881. Some say that local, resident physician, Daniel McIntyre Stewart, whose family was from Argyll, Scotland, assisted in the survey of the new town and in its naming. Still others believe that a railroad surveyor, helping to survey the area, named the town after... [More]

Bibliography:

The above has been taken in part from the following sources:
1. History of Argyle: Written and compiled by Yvonne A. Jenkins with some updates provided by Chief William T. Tackett
2. The Place is Argyle written by Lynn Sheffield Simmons