Early settlers Sulphur Springs was named so because when the area was first settled, springs of
sulfurous water were abundant. Eli Bib, one of the first European-American settlers, ran a store from his cabin, selling staples,
whiskey,
persimmon beer, and slabs of ginger cake. In 1849, Dr. and Mrs. Davis moved into the area. Dr. Davis envisioned the spot as a future city. In 1850, the residents organized the area's first
church, the
Methodist Episcopal. Construction of the church was completed in 1853. In 1852, the
Presbyterian Church was organized. At that time, the population of the village was 441. To serve the growing population, commodities began to be brought in from nearby
Jefferson. New stores were established. The village became a city in 1854 when the first post office was established. The city's name was originally "Bright Star". Mail to and from the city was delivered by the
Pony Express. On May 18, 1871, the legislature moved the
county seat of
Hopkins County from Tarrant to Sulphur Springs, and the name "Bright Star" was removed from the postal directory.
Further growth, abundance of newspapers Local government organized slowly. The first known mayor was William A. Wortham. In 1854, Wortham had bought the
Texas Star press and moved to Sulphur Springs. His brother-in-law, Bill Davis, and he established the city's first newspaper. in downtown Sulphur Springs The county seat had numerous newspapers. Echo Publishing Company was founded in 1897. It was the first steam-powered
press in Sulphur Springs. After the first plant was lost to a fire, a new plant was constructed that used
gasoline as fuel. In 1884, the
Sulphur Springs Enterprise was founded. In the same year,
James Harvey "Cyclone" Davis, a Populist (
People's Party) US congressman, founded the
Alliance Vindicator; it was published until 1901. John S. Bagwell bought the
Hopkins County Echo in 1916. In 1924, the
Texas Star was merged into the
Daily News Telegram. The
Daily News Telegram later was renamed the
Daily Gazette and still later the
Weekly Gazette. Eventually, all these newspapers were merged into the
Sulphur Springs News-Telegram and the
Hopkins County Echo, both of which still operate.
Late 18th, early 19th centuries In 1857, the city set aside of land for Bright Star University. The Sulphur Springs District Conference High School began in 1877, established on Bright Star University land on College Street. In December 1882, the school became known as Central College. It was owned by the
Methodist Episcopal Church. It was later renamed Eastman College and Conservatory of Music and Art under a new charter and after the leading professor. Before 1900, the college burned and Professor Eastman left the area. The First National Bank of Sulphur Springs received its national charter in 1855. It is now known as City National Bank. In 1857, the area's first steam-powered factory was established by the Bell brothers. In the same year, the Morro Castle was built on North Street. Its builders remain unknown. C. Denton was elected to lead the new city government, which was incorporated during the
Reconstruction Era. During the
Civil War, the town had lost its
charter and had to be incorporated again by the state legislature. In 1868,
federal troops moved into Sulphur Springs and occupied the city for two years during Reconstruction, in an effort to protect
freedmen after emancipation. Upon their departure and the end of the
military occupation, A. J. Bridges was elected as mayor. The construction of a
railroad line from
Mineola, Texas, in 1872 stimulated growth in the city. Settlers were drawn by tales of the healing powers of the city's sulfur baths. Due to population growth, the springs of sulfur were gradually covered. None is active today. A rail line was run from Jefferson to Sulphur Springs in 1879. The St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad (Cotton Belt) was built through Sulphur Springs in 1887 on its way to
Commerce and
Sherman. The next year, the line was completed to
Fort Worth, connecting the city to a major market. In 1891, the bankrupt railroad was sold to
Jay Gould interests and renamed the
St. Louis Southwestern Railway. An ice plant was built in 1887. The city's
courthouse, which is still used today, was constructed in 1895. In 1904,
wells were dug to supply the city with water. In the same year, a long-distance telephone line was run to nearby
Greenville. In 1889, the City National Bank was organized.
Post-World War II to today After
World War II, the city adopted a new
council-manager type of government. It stimulated new programs. Industrialization brought new plants and factories to the city. The population has grown as a result, to an estimate of more than 16,000 in 2016. The dairy industry was a major component of the local economy from the late 1940s through 1995. The
Southwest Dairy Museum in the city features artifacts on the history of the dairy industry. The industry began to shrink largely because of declining milk prices, higher labor costs, and large corporations operating industrial-scale dairies. Large industries in the area today include Pinnacle,
Ocean Spray,
Grocery Supply, Jeld-Wen, Clayton Home Mfg.,
Flowserve, and others. ==Geography==