Carlton is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located in Hamilton County in Central Texas. It lies in the northeastern part of the county and has an estimated population of 70.Handbook of Texas Online entry for Carlton
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History

Carlton was founded in 1877 by a man named H.H. Armstrong on land owned by two local settlers; rancher J. M. Evans and Dr. F. M. Carlton, the town's namesake. With growth stimulated by its location on the major area stagecoach line, Carlton prospered through the late 1870s and by 1878 possessed its own school and several churches. In 1879, the post office at nearby Honey Creek was moved to Carlton and renamed for its new location. In 1900 the community had a reported population of just over 160 and several business, including a large cotton gin. The

Stephenville North and South Texas Railway The Stephenville North & South Texas Railway (SN&ST) was incorporated in Texas on February 4, 1907 by Stephenville and Hamilton business interests. Its original standard gauge 43 mile line was built between Stephenville and Hamilton and completed ...

part of the historic Cotton Belt Route was built through Carlton in 1907 on its way from nearby

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

. Carlton reached its peak population of 750 residents by 1910. During this time, two small weekly newspapers had served the area; the ''Courier'', which ran from 1907 to 1909, and the ''Citizen'', which ran 1910-1936. Prosperity came to an end in the 1930s, however. Effects of the

boll weevil The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a beetle that feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growin ...

blight of the 1920s and the Great Depression had dire effect on Carlton. The railroad was abandoned in 1934, and by 1940 the population had fallen to 400. The declining population led to the closing of the Carlton schools in 1969 and by 1980 the reported population had dropped to seventy, a figure it maintained through to the 2000 Census.

Education

Carlton is served by the Hico Independent School District.

Miscellaneous

Portions of Carlton's ZIP code: 76436 extend into neighboring areas of Comanche and Erath Counties in Central Texas. Carlton has one large historic town cemetery located on the north side of Fm-2823 going from Carlton west towards the Comanche County line.

References

* Stephenville North & South Texas Railroad {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Texas Unincorporated communities in Hamilton County, Texas