Bristol is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in Ellis County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. The population was 668 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Bristol is located along

Farm to Market Road 660 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

in northeastern Ellis County, approximately six miles northeast of

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and f ...

and eighteen miles northeast of Waxahachie. It is part of the

Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States, ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and is water. FM 660 connects Bristol to the towns of Ennis, Palmer, and Ferris, and Union Hill Rd connects Bristol to Crip.

History

The area was first settled in the 1840s by Joshua Brock of Missouri. The community was first called Brockville and a post office operated under that name from 1854 to 1869. The name Brockville was a result of Joshua Brock who was the town's first postmaster general. Later, the community was unofficially known as Heelstring. The town itself was located on the banks of the Trinity River. This area is commonly referred to as the, "River Bottoms", by local residents. The town was destroyed by a fire in the late 1800's and relocated to the current location. Years later, Captain Steven Mills came to the area and opened a store. Having done business in

Bristol, England Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, he named the store Bristol and the community eventually adopted the name. By 1890, Bristol had grown into a farming community of approximately 200 residents. The population peaked at around 300 in the early 1930s and declined thereafter. The community continues to serve as a supply and service center for area farmers and local beef ranches. In 2010, Bristol was defined as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The boundaries include the original community of Bristol and surrounding areas. Today the community holds several events including the monthly Bristol Opry, 4 July Celebration, Easter Bunny Breakfast, and Thanksgiving Dinner.

Demographics

Bristol first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2010 U.S. Census.

2010 census

At the 2010 United States Census there were 668 people, 239 households, and 188 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup of the city was 91.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

(81.4%

Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.4% Native American, 2.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.

Education

The community’s first school was housed in a multi-purpose building erected in 1870. The Bristol Rural School District was established in 1877. Youth from throughout the area attended the Bristol schoolhouse built in 1886 and 1913. A new brick school containing five classrooms and an auditorium and stage was completed by the U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939. 130 pupils attended the 9-grade, 6-teacher school in 1940-41. In the 1940 school year it was recorded that Bristol High School had a basketball and baseball team as well as a

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

club. The school served the area until 1955. In 1957 its facilities and grounds were deeded to the Bristol Cemetery Association. Today the school is used as a community center for the town. Currently, the Ennis Independent School District,

Ferris Independent School District Ferris Independent School District is a public school district based in Ferris, Texas ( US). The district in Ellis County includes that county's part of Ellis and sections of Red Oak, Waxahachie, and the Bristol census-designated place. In ...

, and Palmer Independent School District each serve portions of the Bristol CDP.

Cemeteries

The small town has three cemeteries, the largest and currently used is the Bristol Cemetery located in town and administered by the Bristol Cemetery Association. Two of the older cemeteries is the Hefley Pioneer Cemetery located on Slate Rock Road and Union Hill Cemetery located on Union Hill Road. Union Hill served as a burial spot for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Both historical cemeteries are maintained by local volunteers.

References

-The History of Ellis County (Pub. 1970 on the postmaster edit.)

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Ellis County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex