Local History
Greenville grew into a cotton hub after the railroad arrived
After the first railroad reached Greenville in 1880, Hunt County's cotton output grew from a handful of bales to more than 50,000 bales per year by 1900.
Hunt County was formed in 1846 from Fannin and Nacogdoches counties and named for Memucan Hunt, the first Texas minister to Washington. Greenville became the county seat. Before railroads, there were no navigable waterways and no easy way to ship crops, so large cotton farming did not take hold early.
The East Line and Red River Railroad reached Greenville in October 1880. By 1904, seven rail lines crossed the county. Cotton production soared — Hunt County reached 47,295 people and more than 50,000 bales of cotton by 1900. Greenville became known as a major cotton market in the region.
Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Hunt County